Repeat Previous Song
by Fae 206
Summary: On the night that Kyoko overhears Sho say that he'll send her back to Kyoto, she meets with her old friend who is nearly unrecognizable apart from those kind eyes. Now, Kyoko finds herself staying in the celeb's guest room but how did Corn the fairy prince turn into Ren Tsuruga? How about when her feelings don't end with friendship? How is Ren about to get Kyoko into acting? AR
1. Prologue

**AN:** This one is another AR. I think that from the next Chapter, Chapter 1 I'm going to write in third-person but for the prologue I have it in first. I hope you guys like this. I'm kind of nervous to see if anyone will read it. 😊

 **Repeat Previous Song**

 **Prologue**

Today has definitely had its ups and downs, right now being the worst.

I have been told that I am nothing but a maid to someone who I devoted my life to. I came here because I wanted a happy life with Shotaro. All this time, I thought that I was doing what would lead me down the path of happiness to being Kyoko Fuwa. Ha! I was a joke to him all this time, a stupid boring woman and I wasted all that time yesterday on getting that stupid poster, on getting him his pudding, on trying to be the best girlfriend I could be.

I guess I need to pack up what I can, sell what I think can make me some money, and figure out what I'm going to do next with my life. It would be embarrassing to go back to Kyoto. Not only will his parents be disappointed in me but I'll be a joke to those girls who already see me as a joke.

I have to get home anyway. I pause as I see a picture of a drama on the wall.

I take a step back and glare at it. If only Mr. Perfect wouldn't be alive then everything would be ideal. Ren Tsuruga with that model-type body, with that face that shows wisdom, his calm and collected attitu- No. Kyoko this is not the time for this, you can't praise him anyway.

I sigh as I look at the strange blue color of the lights.

I want to see what the lights look like and I reach into my bag to pull out something that I didn't know I would need today until this. My precious stone, my dear friend the fairy prince gave to me. Corn.

"You're right," I smile to the stone as I see the light bounce off of it. "I want to see where the stars are shining their brightest."

…

…

It still feels a little empty. I love the work that I'm doing but it's as if I never have a chance to be myself, not that I know who myself is anyway. On the outside, I'm the top actor Ren Tsuruga but on the inside I have no idea who I am. I used to know, I used to have a clear identity but it's been a long time since then. You wouldn't see Ren Tsuruga walking in the mountains to clear his head.

I sigh as I hear Yashiro-san's footsteps behind me. I'm even scared of letting him in.

"Ren, did you hear? They're going out for drinks and they invit-" he starts but I cut him off with a laugh. Yes, they want Ren Tsuruga. Everybody wants Ren Tsuruga. They don't want the person who I actually am, the twisted and worthless Kuon Hizuri who has to be caged like a wild animal.

I chuckled and smile back to Yashiro, "Why don't you go? I'm pretty tired tonight, I'd hate to have my image get destroyed by yawning at the wrong time," I tell him and Yashiro nods to me.

"If that's what you want," he tells me and I'm glad he's going. I wouldn't want to cause him to have a bad night. As for me, I think I'll take a walk a little bit further. I hear music from nearby, maybe a concert, I'm really not that interested in Japanese music but that's probably prejudiced thinking. It's not as if I can't pretend to b-

As I walk further into a wooded area, I can feel the trees being brushed by the wind, I can hear the trickle of a man-man river, I can see the lights of the stars as I look up into space.

I feel something against my chest and I hear a girl fall and start to panic. What is going on? I didn't even sense her. She looks familiar but then I could say that about a few hundred or so Japanese women. Still, I have to be a gentleman like my father taught me before he stopped wanting me as his child.

"Excuse me, are you okay?" I ask and she barely even glances in my direction.

"I dropped it," she whispers as she rummages through the leaves. I don't understand. What did she drop, some kind of jewelry or something.

"Is it valuable?" I ask as I look around and she's still frantic.

"I don't think it has monetary value but a dear friend gave it to me, I can't lose it. He trusted me with it," she says. Wow, she's definitely not doing that whole fawning fangirl thing. I look around and see some stone. Is she talking about this? I pick it up and get jolted to a memory of my childhood. I remember this rock, the feel of it against my skin, that mysterious color. I take a few steps back.

It can't be.

"Is this it?" I ask her and she grins widely as I get flashbacks of my childhood back. I freeze as she happily takes it before taking a few steps backwards. She's now staring at me in the 'I got touched by a celebrity' manner. I laugh weakly.

"Thank you," she whispers and I try to turn, "Corn," she whispers and I immediately turn back, "Are you okay? I'm so sorry that I lost you."

"Are you visiting Tokyo, Kyoko-chan?" I ask and feel my whole body turn to ice as she looks at me in shock. I know that it's okay for her to know me as Ren Tsuruga but it's not okay for her to know me.

"Ah, yeah…" she says as she tilts her head to the side, "I'm sorry, you are Tsuruga Ren, right?" she asks and I nod.

"Well, goodbye," I say as I quickly try and get out of the situation and she looks at me confused. I turn to her and face her, "Can you keep a secret?" I ask her, god what am I doing? I shouldn't be doing it. No. I didn't tell her my name, I'll be able to find a way out of this. "Can I see the stone?" I ask her and she holds it to her heart before giving it to me.

"Stand here," I tell her before I recreate the same scenario that we went through ten years before. "You can see the magic of the stone if you hold it here," I tell her and she looks back at me in complete shock. "It's good to see you again, Kyoko-chan."

 **End of Prologue**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	2. Act 1 - To Be Human

**AN:** Because of all the support already on this fic I decided to write Chapter One this morning and if this fic continues getting attention I might turn it into a once every other day fic. I'm going to be using some of the events of Skip Beat (or quite a few) but approach them in a different angle. Hope you enjoy this chapter and Kyoko's childlike innocence.

 **Act One – To Be Human**

Kyoko stared up in wonder at the guy who was standing behind her. She wanted to scream, ask him what was happening in a loud voice, but she didn't want to risk his exposure. She felt that he was trusting her with more than he was supposed to. She blinked at him confused. She was just a plain boring girl from Kyoto and this was this guy who was top of the idol charts in Japan. She froze as she remembered all of the words that she had said against him and turned to him as he pulled back, trying to pass her Corn back safely.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I said such mean things about you," she whispered as she had tears in her eyes, "I didn't know it was you. I would never have said those things if I had know-"

Ren laughed at her, he smiled with a playful grin as he raised an eyebrow. "Really? What kind of mean things were you saying about me?" he asked and Kyoko's eyes widened.

"It doesn't need to be repeated," she said quickly as she raised her head, her long black hair falling upon her shoulders. "No. It doesn't need to be repeated. I'd be so embarrassed if I said it to you now."

Ren chuckled and leaned in towards her, "Won't you tell me…Kyoko…chan?"

Kyoko stiffened, she had her fists by her side, her eyes wide as she stared at him, her heart starting to zip together a little bit. "Umm, I…" She frowned before staring at him, "How do I know that you're really Corn?" she asked him. "Maybe you heard about the fairies and I asked th-"

Ren sighed before closing his eyes, "First of all, do you really think that we would be having this conversation were you just a regular working girl?" he asked before looking down. "From what I remember, you cried about your mother a lot, we went looking for rocks that reminded you of hamburgers, and you called me a fairy prince, of course I did have my blond hair back then. Oh, and you seemed determined to marry your prince Sho," he commented and Kyoko growled causing Ren to take a step back.

"Don't mention that guy. That guy deserves to sink into hell. I'll get back at him for what he put me through. That guy is going to choke on his own tears," Kyoko told him and Ren looked at her, he blinked in confusion.

"He's not your prince anymore?" he asked and Kyoko scowled causing Ren to tilt his head to the side.

"I would never call that guy a prince if you paid me one billion yen," she said before looking at the surprised look on his face. Had she embarrassed herself in front of Corn even more? Wait, so Corn had come to earth to pose as the actor Ren Tsuruga. Well, Corn did need a disguise if he was going to live a life on earth but she would never expect for him to have taken the form of Ren Tsuruga.

"Corn?" she asked him and he coughed.

"Please address me as Ren," he told her and Kyoko froze. He really was determined to keep this persona, well, it was well-crafted and he had obviously spent a long time trying to get used to human customs. She hummed. It felt impolite to just call him Ren when she hadn't known his human form for a significant time.

"How about Tsuruga-san?" she asked and Ren paused, he looked at her and nodded.

"I'd prefer Ren-san," he said before seeing her blush and sighed, pushing his hand through his brown hair. How was he going to explain this? Was he just bestowing misplaced trust in this girl who could sell him out to get money of her own. She had just said that she had insulted him just the previous night. He looked at her cautiously. She understood right, she knew that he was under cover, right? He saw her looking at him nervously, her cheeks turning red. "Tsuruga-san will be fine."

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said quietly, "How long did it take for you to get used to being human?" she asked and Ren paused, the words repeating in his head. What the… His eyes widened and he looked at her, his jaw dropping. She hadn't just asked him what he thought she had, right?

"Take me to do what?" he asked and Kyoko smiled.

"Well, I know that it's most likely highly confidential information that you're the prince of fairy kingdom," she said as Ren looked at her stunned. What was she talking about? Did she actually believe what he had told her ten years ago. They were children. "So, I promise not to tell anyone your real identity but I'm just wondering. You couldn't stay on earth when you were younger and…"

"I traded my magic," Ren said sadly. He would take this chance. If Kyoko really thought that he was a fairy in disguise then wouldn't she be more inclined to keep his identity a secret. He knew he was lying but he needed to keep the information classified. "Well, most of my magic. I realized that if I stayed in the fairy kingdom, my father's hands would crush me accidentally. I made a deal to come to earth as an actor and I've been working at my dream for five years. I would have come sooner but I was scared that you wouldn't want to see me. It was your prince Sho after all who you wanted to be with."

Kyoko looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I would have wanted to see you. I would have wanted to see you whether you were a human or a fairy. I'm sorry if I did something that made you think otherwise."

"Well, we're seeing each other again now. Of course, the only other person who knows my identity is the president," Ren attempted to explain and Kyoko stared at him.

"The president of the United States?" she asked as she looked around. "If that's -"

"I'm sorry," Ren said quickly as he shook his head. "No, Takarada-san, Lory Takarada, he's the president of LME. That's the agency that I work for. He's…well he knew my dad when he was younger so he agreed to test my skills as an actor and so my identity is a huge secret. I hope I can trust you with it…Mogami-san?" he looked at her with a tilt of his head and puppy dog eyes which Kyoko found adorable.

Kyoko looked at him before saluting, "Yes, of course," she nodded and Ren smiled.

"Thank you," he told her and Kyoko grinned, her cheeks turning red again. "May I ask you a question, Mogami-san?" he asked and Kyoko stared at him with wide eyes.

"Can you call me Kyoko-san?" she asked and Ren blinked confused. "I mean, I know that I'm calling you Tsuruga-san but…but I like it when I hear my name come out of your mouth," she said and Ren rolled his eyes before nodding.

"Sure, but maybe in public I should call you Mogami-san," he suggested and Kyoko nodded in agreement. "So, my question?" he asked and Kyoko nodded. "May I escort you back to where you're living. I have my car here and I'd like to be able to visit you, if that's okay."

Kyoko nodded before she looked away. "I don't really…have anywhere that I'm living or I won't," she said and Kuon stared at her. "I'm going to have to look for somewhere else to live," she whispered and Ren tilted his head to the side. "It's all that damn Shotaro's fault," she fumed and Ren blinked as he watched her. "If he hadn't had done what he…I could kill him. I'll get my revenge on him. When he finds out what I can do he won't call me a plain bori-"

"You don't have anywhere to live?" the actor asked her as he sighed, "You want to come back with me?" he asked and Kyoko blinked nervously, she pushed her black hair behind her ear forgetting she was wearing a Moz Burger uniform. Hadn't he taken note of that? Was he secretly laughing at her situation?

"I couldn't do that," she said, "I'm….I couldn't afford to pay the rent and I'm sure it's more than I'm paying now and you don't really want me there and…"

"I'm not asking you to pay rent," Ren shrugged, "I've got a spare bedroom and you're an important childhood friend to me. Besides, all I'm going to ask for in return is that you keep my secret. I don't want to draw attention to…my kind."

Kyoko gulped, "No, no it's okay. I would never want to harm you or any part of the fairy kingdom. It's a really nice offer but I couldn't take it, I'd want to pay you something or else it would feel like I was indebted to you. Thank you but I'll be okay."

Ren hummed, "That's too bad. I would have liked you living there, Kyoko-chan," he sighed before looking at her with another playful smile. "I know, I'll hire you of course I don't want to act like your boss but it'll be a simple trade. Your services for room and board, sound good?" he asked and Kyoko stared at him not quite understanding what he was saying.

"My services?" the younger woman repeated.

"Well, a hard-working bachelor like me often doesn't have time to cook and to clean. I know, it's a rather unbecoming life for someone who is an actor. I don't even have my powers so I can't wish everything neat and orderly any longer. I always thought that with what you told me when you were a child, you were able to cook and clean and do laundry and take out the trash. You were always such a hard worker," he sighed dramatically. "If only you could help me with those things."

Kyoko bit on her top lip, gazing at him, "Would that be enough to earn my room and board?" she asked and Ren nodded.

"You have no idea how stressful life can be for a fairy not to be able to do those things with a wave of his hand," he told her. "For five years, I've had to balance those duties as well as my acting work. It's exhausting. It would definitely make my life much easier."

Kyoko paused, "You could say that I'm your live-in maid?" she asked and Ren shrugged.

"I'd prefer to say my childhood friend but you can give yourself whatever title you'd like if you could help me ease my burden," he said dramatically and Kyoko watched him. How could someone like this think so much of normal chores? Well, Corn was a fairy prince, he probably hadn't grown up having to do things like laundry and cleaning.

"Deal," she grinned and Ren smiled to her. "I have to move some things from my old apartment though. There's a lot that I want to sell," she said before her eyes narrowed. How many damn things of Shotaro did she have? She shouldn't have given him all that attention. She looked at him. "This isn't a trick is it?" she asked and Ren shook his head.

"No. The cleaning really is a hassle to me. If I still had my wings then I would surely get dirt and cobwebs in them," he sighed and Kyoko's eyes widened.

"You…you don't have your wings?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"Humans don't have wings," he told her as she nodded slowly. "Now, how about I give you a hand with your things," he told her and Kyoko paled. How was he going to react when she showed him the collection of Sho Fuwa things that she had. She didn't want him to have a bad impression of her. He wouldn't, would he?

 **End of Act 1**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to reviewers of the Prologue**

Blue Sky of Love, H-Nala, Julez, Kaname671, kotoko-98, Megumitasama

 **Author Response**

Thanks for all the support 😊 There will be secrets and misunderstandings but it's going to be a little smoother than the manga. He's still a little nervous about his identity being found out but he couldn't ignore her this time 😊


	3. Act 2 - A Change of Location

**AN:** I was actually hoping to update this once every other day so the next update won't be until Friday but I was really excited to see people's reactions to it so I'm going to keep the every other day until people start to lose interest. Thank you for the support

 **Act Two – A Change of Location**

Ren sighed as he turned his attention to the apartment building that Kyoko had just gone into. It was a much more glamorous place than he had expected. Was he wrong in judging her to become some kind of homeless working girl, did she actually need his help? He ran his fingers through his hair again. He could have lied to her, given her a false identity and explained that he had only been joking as children, but he had wanted to grab his chance when it came to him. Kyoko thought that he was still a fairy inside, was it so wrong to play the part of a fairy prince?

Yes. Lying to somebody was wrong but he had been lying to everybody for five years.

That also brought another question to Ren's mind. What kind of teenager still believes in fairies? Yes, pure and innocent were the first two words that entered his mind but would someone really be so pure and so innocent as to believe he was a fairy prince. Was she some complete nutjob? No. He had to get less prejudiced. This was Kyoko, his childhood friend, she hadn't gone off the deep end.

He saw her rush down with a couple of bags and got out of the car to help her.

She shook her head, "No, Co—Tsuruga-san. If you want me to be your housekeeper, I can't let you carry my bags," she said as she placed a hand on her hip. Ren looked at her surprised but then paused. She was wearing a jacket, blouse, skirt, and different shoes not the uniform that she had been wearing before. She actually looked pretty cute.

"I see," he said slowly, "Is this all you have?" he asked gesturing to the two bags and Kyoko blushed slightly before shaking her head.

"No. I can come back for the rest later. I didn't want to hold you up any longer," she bowed and Ren stared at her.

"Are you sure you want to come back for the rest. You can send the boxes to the lobby but it would be easier for you to take them now. I'm willing to help or wait, whichever is better for you," he shrugged and Kyoko blinked. "I don't like giving my home address out," he said.

Kyoko nervously paused. She took a look up at the apartment before nodding. "There's an inside garage that way," she pointed. "But Tsuruga-san, it's impolite to judge a human woman on what things that she owns so please remember that," she told him and Ren smiled with a weak smile on his face.

"Yes, I'll remember that, Mogami-san," he replied feeling like Kyoko would have felt more comfortable were he wearing a disguise. Well, Ren Tsuruga _was_ a disguise but his real identity was something that she didn't know yet. After they had gone and parked in the inside garage, Ren got out the car and stretched his legs. "I'll follow your lead," he replied and Kyoko paled before nodding.

"It's this way," she gestured and he followed her lead.

….

….

Posters. Multiple copies of CDs. Other Random Merchandise.

This Shotaro from her childhood had certainly deceived her heart, maybe even bewitched it. Somehow he looked like the kind of guy who took those real life events less seriously than he should. Ren saw the massive influence he had had on her. Hopefully Kyoko wouldn't fall into another trap.

"What are you planning on doing with all of this," Ren said as he waved a hand at a wall that had four framed pictures of the singer. "I mean, knowing show business first hand, some of this….stuff probably could be sold for a decent amount." Kyoko turned to him as she started throwing things into boxes at a speed that Ren hadn't seen before. He saw her tape the boxes closed and wondered if she knew what was in each box.

"I plan to sell it and start a new life with new goals," she told him and Ren chuckled.

"Wow, such a change after collecting for so long," he commented but as she glared at the floor, he felt that he had said the wrong thing. "Let me know if you need any help and Kyoko, I do have one more request for you," he told her and Kyoko turned to him.

"Umm, sure," she said wondering if he was going to tell her to not disclose that they were living together or talk to the media about anything embarrassing. She had already learned her lesson with Sho, she wasn't going to do either of those things, she respected Corn and his journey too much for that.

Ren walked over to her and placed a hand on the back of her shoulder before leaning in closer, "Don't fall in love with me," he whispered and Kyoko shivered at his touch.

"Of course not," she said before looking down. "I'm done with love anyway. I don't want to feel that kind of emotion again. Love is made out to be more than it is, I don't want to be one of those foolish girls that just blindly delivers herself to such an emotion," she said before turning to him. "You must have no idea being a fairy what a burden love is, I don't want to feel it again," she whispered and Ren hummed.

"Is that so?" he asked softly and Kyoko nodded.

"It's not as if fairy-human love is an established thing anyway. There must be many rules about how it's performed, how it's treated by society. I mean, in these days there is all types of love that others are against but love in general makes me want to vomit," Kyoko told him and Ren blinked before nodding.

"That's good then," he told her, "I'm going to take these boxes down to the car," he told her as he gestured to them. "Going down in a few trips would be easier than if we were to try to take all of this at once. You continue with the boxes," he said as he picked three of the boxes up and walked out of the apartment. Kyoko blushed as she saw him leave.

No. She couldn't afford to let something like Corn's kindness and generosity make her think of those cursed feelings again. She wasn't going to fall in love ever again. She needed to protect her virtue and Corn must have told her that for a reason. Still, if she became the princess of fairyland then that would be a great kind of adventure.

She looked around. She was going to get at least half of the remaining boxes packed up by the time that Ren got back upstairs to help her and then she was going to make him the best human meal that he had ever had. Kyoko froze. Yes, Corn was living as a human but maybe there were dishes that she could make from fairyland. What kind of things did fairies eat anyway? Nectar from plants? Butterfly wings? Flower petals?

She would make him a dish with flower petals in it, there were many plants that you could eat the petals of and a nice salad would probably be very filling for him. Still, where was she going to find flower petals tonight and which ones were Corn's favorites? Flowers had distinct smells so they must vary in the taste.

Kyoko froze. She should be concentrating on the boxes and not on any kind of food that she could make for Corn, that could come later. Maybe she could ask him if he had any dietary needs. She paused. It was a good thing that she still believed in fairies because otherwise she might have distrusted him, thought that he was somebody else who was pretending to be a Japanese actor. Yeah, a thought like that wasn't worthy of Corn.

She packed another box and taped it closed. She should try to do something to get her mind off of Ren Tsuruga. Ren Tsuruga wasn't a real person, he was a fairy who was trying to make a disguise so that he could escape the fairy king's hands. She bowed her head before her eyes widened and she looked up. Corn had become Ren because he wanted a new life and although she didn't want a new life, she did want to make a new Kyoko.

Maybe after she sold this stuff she could afford to have her hair cut, dyed, and styled. She smiled as she thought about that and then heard a noise at the door. She grinned as he walked over to him. "I'm almost done. It'll just take one more single trip and then I'll help with the remaining boxes." She stood before bowing deeply, "Thank you so much for helping me with this," she told him and he looked away.

"You don't need to thank me," he told her as he had three more boxes. "Well, you can thank me if you want but you don't have to. I'll have to show you your room and your private bathroom when we get back to the apartment."

Kyoko nodded eagerly. She _would_ find a way to truly repay him for his generosity.

…

…

Ren managed to bring the final box into the apartment for Kyoko to unpack, he sat down on the guest bed as she opened the box and looked at him with a smile.

"Again, Cor—Tsuruga-san," she said as she watched him, "Thank you so much for all of this. Is there any-"

"For tonight why don't you just try to get a good sleep? I'm going to have an employment and a tenant form drawn up by tomorrow afternoon for you to sign. I have to wake up early to get to a shoot and then I've got a few other jobs lined up but I finish early tomorrow so I should be back about six or seven."

Kyoko nodded. A full twelve hours was normal for a celebrity, right? Well, she hadn't really known how much Shotaro worked and it was becoming apparent to her now how little Shotaro actually cared about her. She should have been able to see the signs earlier.

"Is there anything that you -"

"Please call me Ren," he told her, "We're in my apartment so Ren should be fine. We can save the formalities for when we're in public which is another thing. I could refer to you as my childhood friend, live-in maid," he said and Kyoko froze.

"Maybe it's best if we just act as acquaintances," she said and Ren nodded slowly, "I mean, the live-in-maid would be better if we were found out but people might get the wrong idea if you just tell them that you've started living with a woman. Wouldn't the Ren Tsuruga image get changed?"

"I'm not denying that it would change," Ren said before nodding, "All right, if that's the way you wish it. What time do you have school?" he asked and Kyoko paled. She stared at him wide-eyed. "From what I remember, you always got the best grades at the cram school that you went to…or maybe you got a couple of questions wrong from time to time."

Kyoko paled as she looked ahead of her as if she were seeing a ghost, "I don't…I don't go to school," she whispered and Ren stared at her in shock.

He stood and walked to the doorway, "Well," he said with a kind smile, "We'll just have to remedy that, won't we? My friend, Kyoko, deserves a proper high school experience after all," he said and before Kyoko could stop him, he had walked away.

Was Corn actually going to pay her tuition for her? She had to find a way to stop him from doing that or she'd never be able to clear her debt.

 **End of Act Two**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you reviewers of Act One**

Aonairstark, Blue Sky of Love, brennakai, H-Nala, Julez, Kaname671, kotoko-98, Megumitasama, MWEH, PaulaGaTo

 **Author Response**

Sometimes I really wish I had ball joint dolls were I could act out the scenes I write, it would definitely make things more fun 😊 Yep, Ren is still insecure about being Kuon Hizuri so he's still pretending. There will definitely be some encounters with Sho in the future.


	4. Act 3 - A New Morning

**AN:** This chapter starts the introduction of other characters 😊 Of course people like Kanae won't be in it for a while because there's no way of Kyoko connecting with them yet but they will come. I'm going to be basing the updates of this particular fic on the amount of support per chapter so if it slows that's because support has slowed. I know it sounds mean but that's the way writers survive.

 **Act Three – A New Morning**

Kyoko lay awake in the strange bed. Her life was different and it felt strange to be awake at three in the morning and not having to prepare Shotaro a bento or worry if he was going to be home. That kind of blissfully ignorant life was over and she had to try to take care of herself. Well, she had to take care of Corn…that was going to be interesting. She wondered if he would be open to talking about the fairy kingdom.

Kyoko looked to her watch. She wasn't sure how many of her jobs that she should keep but she wanted to make sure to work them until she knew that she didn't need them any longer and the first job started relatively soon. She stood up and took a look at the door. The bathroom was just down the hall and she wondered if Corn would be awake yet.

He had said that he would have to leave early, if she made it back here by five would she have time to make a breakfast for him, she could even check by the market to see if they had any of the flowers that you could put in salads. Corn would enjoy having something from the fairy kingdom to eat, wouldn't he? Kyoko looked around, she'd get changed and then leave him a note saying that she was going out. She hummed, she had never had a cellphone but now she was seeing the benefit of it. That might be something to save up for if she ever cleared her debt.

She went into the bathroom and started to get her skin clean. As she stood with the water covering her body, she took a look at her reflection. She had become someone unrecognizable to herself without her knowing it. She didn't want to look like this anymore. She sighed as she put some grocery store shampoo and conditioner in her hair. Who was she? Maybe she just needed to have a different appearance, maybe that was the key to finding out who she truly was.

As she dried herself and got changed, she took another look to the direction where Corn's bedroom was. She didn't want to let down her friend, not when he had offered her so much from the kindness of his heart. She'd have to do her best to help him in whatever way she could.

She checked the time on her watch and then went to leave a note for him,

 _Ren, I've gone to my first job. I didn't want to wake you. I'll be back in about an hour or so, that's around five. Thank you so much for everything – Kyoko_

…

…

Ren got out of bed about five in the morning, he had an hour until he was to get ready to go to the modelling shoot. He was worried about the choice that he had made the previous night. Kyoko had been a childhood friend but that had been such a long time ago. Should he have been so trusting of her? He was worried about what might happen if she was a desperate blue collar worker terrified of being homeless.

He got up and looked around. It didn't seem to be that things from the apartment were stolen. He went over to where he had left his wallet. As much as he wanted to scold himself for doing so, he did have to check on this. He gave a sigh of relief. He had everything that he had had the previous night.

Of course, she was a good girl. She hadn't changed that much to becoming a thief and he was mad at himself for even questioning the possibility of that. Was she still sleeping then? He ran a hand through his hair again and heard a sound outside the front door of the apartment? He blinked before heading over there, when he opened the door he saw her sitting there with a couple of bags. One held groceries and then the other was full of flowers.

He blinked in surprise, was she into flower arranging as a hobby. His mother had once tried her hand at that but the flowers had gotten a little too creative and though his father praised it, Kuon was worried about all of the planters and vases that she had used tipping over. People had said that ikebana was a way to relieve stress. There could be worse things that she could be doing.

"Are you okay there?" he asked and she grinned up at him, her cheeks turning a little red.

"Yes. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked before dropping into an apologetic bow. "I forgot that I didn't have a key to your apartment and I did knock but I didn't want to wake you up when you have work this early. It's okay though. I'm used to sitting outside places waiting for them to open," she laughed softly.

Ren raised an eyebrow before picking up the groceries and leaving the flowers for her, "That doesn't sound like something that you should be proud of, Kyoko-san" he said before raising an eyebrow as she grabbed the flowers and brought them to the kitchen. "I think there may be a vase or two that I've received as a gift in the past if you wanted to use those. Do you have your own?" he asked and Kyoko paused as she looked at the flowers.

Maybe he didn't remember how much she knew about the fairy kingdom? Of course, he wouldn't openly expect to be eating them because he had had to live as a human for five years. This meant it was even more of a surprise for him.

"I brought them for you to eat, Co-Ren," she said happily, an eager and excited grin on her face.

Ren blinked hard. He surely hadn't heard that correctly, had he?

"I'm sorry," he laughed feeling a little scared. Eating wasn't his favorite hobby and he had never tried digesting flowers before, even his mother wouldn't experiment with flowers in her very creative and unique dishes that he had been force-fed. "What did you just say?"

"I wanted to make you a meal that would remind you of the kingdom you left behind," Kyoko said and Ren froze. How did he find her cute? This was insanity. She was really going to try to feed someone like him flowers. He didn't know how but it made him think that she was a sweet and innocent girl but someone so kind needed to get toughened up in this world or they might not survive.

"I'm sorry," he said dramatically, "I no longer have the stomach to eat these flowers. The human stomach works different than a fairy stomach," he told her sadly. He bowed his head as if he was bringing up a traumatic memory, most people would stop and want to hug him and tell him it was going to be okay.

Kyoko shivered before smiling. "I did think about that. That's why I chose these flowers, these are flowers that even a human stomach can digest. I thought that you might want to be reminded of home. Now, these aren't all of the flowers that a human can eat but these are the ones that they had. I even managed to get a nice recipe for a salad."

Ren froze as he looked at her. She was absolutely serious. She would be feeding him flowers and if he wanted to keep up the disguise of the fairy prince then he was going to have to eat these flowers. He sighed as he looked them over. At least they were fresh.

"Would you say that you're a pretty good cook?" he asked her as he studied the flowers further, "That you can make anything taste good?"

"Absolutely," Kyoko nodded and Ren sighed.

"Then I'll try the salad that you make for me. I wonder if any human would have the culinary skills to make these flowers taste like home because in the fairy kingdom we use different herbs and spices, things that mortal humans don't grow on this planet. I'll definitely try some though," he told her and Kyoko smiled. "As for right now, I think that I have to get ready. Could you prepare me a simple soup?" he asked and saw her face light up as he requested this. This was something that she was more than happy to do. "I want you to spend time on the flowers and I don't think there's time before I have to get to work so please leave the petals out of the soup…and any other part of the flower as well."

"How about miso soup? Can your kind eat that?" Kyoko asked and Ren stared at her before nodding.

"I'd love to try some of your miso soup," he replied before going to his private bathroom in the apartment. He took a huge gulp. How was he going to keep up this lie? He never would have thought that somebody would try to serve him flowers as a meal.

….

….

Ren looked forward as he drove towards the location for the modelling shoot. He didn't know how to explain this situation to his manager, it being such a strange situation, but he felt that it would be better to do so. He looked at him. "I hired help last night, a live in maid," he said and Yashiro looked at him curiously, he had a sly smile on his face.

"Is this your way of saying that you're dating a real woman. If so, I'm glad that your bachelor days are over," Yashiro sighed. He looked forward and into the sky as he tried to imagine the type of woman that Ren would be with. He hoped it was some beautiful and philanthropic model who he could talk the media into showcasing as a power couple. It should be someone well-liked or there might be some backlash against his career.

"I'm not _dating_ anybody," he told him, "I just needed someone to help cook and clean and…"

"And this is through the president I assume because I have never once heard you talking favorably about food or having a desire to form better eating habits. I bet a scoundrel like you just wants a beautiful woman around to know what it's like to be in a relationship," Yashiro teased playfully and Ren shook his head.

"It's not like that, there's a significant age gap between the two of us," he told him and Yashiro sighed.

"Many men are attracted to older women, Ren, it's nothing for you to be shy about," he said before looking out of the window. "In fact, I'd much rather you be with a cougar than with a child. It'll be a lot easier for me to deliver to your fans when you do announce your relationship."

"I wouldn't be shy about it," Ren shrugged, "But there really is no attraction between us," he lied, more to himself than to Yashiro, "She really is just a maid that I have living with me. Meaning that it would be good for me to look into getting her a cellphone. What kind of phones do women like?"

Yashiro sighed, "Why not get her a catalog of them? SoftBank has them available if you want me to grab you one," he said and Ren nodded.

"I'd very much appreciate that," he replied before smiling. He wondered if he could get her to choose a cell phone. What kind of cell phone would she want anyway? Probably one that was covered in flower petals.

He really wasn't looking forward to coming back to that salad but he would force himself to eat it regardless. Maybe it would make her happy enough that she wouldn't have that hate in her heart any longer.

 **End of Act Three**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act Two**

Blue Sky of Love, Grayladywoolf, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kotoko-98, Megumitasama, MWEH

 **Author Reaction:**

It shouldn't be a surprise that they'll fall in love with one another, this fic is listed as romance after all 😉 Ren wants what is best for her and he has the money to support her but this is going to get people who care about him concerned (mainly Lory and Yashiro) until they really meet Kyoko and she starts acting 😉 but what's going to spark the acting desire in her 😉


	5. Act 4 - New Looks

**AN:** Hopefully you guys still enjoy this chapter. I didn't have a lot of time this morning because of work so I wrote this in thirty-five minutes 😊 Hope you guys enjoy.

 **AN2:** I wanted to upload this before work but the service was unavailable so bad timing to post, thank you for being patient for this evening.

 **Act Four – New Looks**

Kyoko wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or happy that she had managed to sell her collection of Shotaro goods so quickly. She had definitely thought that it would take more than a day but as soon as she had rented a selling table and put the goods out, people had flocked to her and she had been able to get a pretty good deal.

As she started to take down the table to return it. She looked at the money that she had raised. Maybe it was time to make a new Kyoko. Would Corn be displeased if she cut her hair and dyed the color? Well, Corn had had golden hair and green eyes as a fairy prince so it would be hypercritical of him to make a big deal out of this. She nervously moved from side to side.

Well, she wanted to be able to start paying Corn back for his generosity so she would need to have some money for food, maybe cookware, cleaning supplies. She grinned as she looked at the money. She would put half of it aside so that she could clean and cook for Corn properly and with the other half she would buy a new set of clothes that were on discount and get her hair done. That way Shotaro would never be able to call her a plain boring woman again.

Kyoko nodded. She was determined to get a makeover, develop a new Kyoko and that's what she would do. Hopefully it would be a good surprise for Corn. Corn wasn't one to care about looks, right? He was being so kind to her because he was her childhood friend and he had been the one to say that there shouldn't be any love between the two of them.

She put her fingers through her hair. As much as she wanted to go with the blond like Corn had had, red felt a little better. Well, she'd take the advice of the stylist. Those who had trained in the business they worked in, the professionals, knew what worked best for their paying customers. Now, what was that reasonably priced salon called again?

…

…

"I would say good job but that smile already tells me that you knew you completed the shoot well," Yashiro said as he handed Ren a towel after the R. Mandy shoot. Ren took it, dabbing the sweat off of his face and neck.

"You can still say it," he shrugged and Yashiro nodded.

"Well, in that case, good job today," he told his client before raising an eyebrow, "Is it too early to start asking questions about this Kyoko character?" he asked and Ren turned to him before paling a little. He had already described Kyoko as a live-in maid was there anything else that he needed to disclose to his manager.

"Why are you interested in her?" he asked and Yashiro hummed.

"Things like this usually come out into the open and you were just voted the hottest bachelor by a large number of women. As talented as you are, some of your numbers and pull come from your sex appeal," Yashiro said honestly and Ren blinked in surprise.

"My what?" he asked and Yashiro frowned, his eyes narrowing.

"Don't pretend that you don't realize this, that the number of women who dream about getting closer to you is part of your popularity. You're nice to everyone, Ren, and you don't discriminate between women, as long as someone is serious about their work then you are kind to them, some might mistake it as affectionate," he said and Ren paused before weakly looking away.

"If you're worried about whether I'm going to enter a relationship with Kyoko Mogami you are seriously mistaken. I'm only helping her out because of our history together," he said with his chin raised, his eyes glancing with determination into the distance. "I've already told her not to fall in love with me. If anything, she's more of a childhood friend than anything else."

"Aha," Yashiro replied as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down, a playful smile on his face. "You never said that you had a history together, a friendship during your childhood. This makes this Kyoko woman sound even more appealing. I suppose if we go from the childhood friends angle, the press will be favorable towards you."

Ren looked at him before shaking his head. "Nothing to worry about there. I'm not attracted to her," he lied, "and I can't have people who are too significant to me anyway. She just got out of a bad…I don't know if you would even consider it a relationship. She got kicked out of the apartment that they shared together and so I offered her a room in exchange for her services. It's a simple arrangement really."

"She was living with another man?" Yashiro asked before sighing. "Can you tell me all the details about this?" he asked, "I'm just trying to protect you when the time comes that this situation is exposed. It'll be better for you in the end to disclose this information. How old is she? I suspect in her early twenties, someone you attended classes with."

"Her age isn't important," Ren said and Yashiro looked at him.

"So, she's an older woman, late twenties?" he guessed and Ren stared at him before shaking his head.

"We should head to the next job," he reminded his manager, "Let's just put this situation on hold. I don't want to be late for the shoot. Even if we are just reading lines, Shinkai-san is not one who likes his actors to be late. I mean, we're introducing a singing idol into a historical piece set at a ryokan. This is going to take a lot of work."

Yashiro sighed before agreeing. As interested as he was about Kyoko and especially about the relationship that she shared with Ren, Ren was a professional actor who cared more about his work than anything else. He pulled out a pair of gloves, interested in searching up this Mogami Kyoko. She had to have some sort of social media use that he could see. Maybe if he knew what type of woman she was, he could deal with this situation appropriately.

"Are you sure that you don't have feelings for this woman?" Yashiro asked and Ren nodded.

"Absolutely. No romantic feelings at all, I think of her with more kindness and friendship. Don't worry, there is no intention to start dating her," he told his manager unsure if that would be true at the end of the day or not. Actually, depending on how that salad turned out, he might have to think about finding other housing for her. He didn't think eating flowers every day would work out.

…

…

As Kyoko returned to the apartment that night, she had a queasy feeling in her stomach. She had cut her hair to chin-level and dyed it a chestnut color. She had been really happy with her new look especially since the color and cut suited her face and brought out her eye color but would Corn be upset that the childhood friend he was doing this all for looked different when she didn't have to.

More than that, when she had completed her shift at Daruma-ya, her boss who had always treated her kindly had refused to speak to her or even look at her. As much as she cared about Taisho's feelings, he wasn't the most approachable man. If she got fired from this job after quitting her other two then she would have screwed things up for Corn, she would never be able to repay him.

She put a comb through her hair again. She liked it and hopefully Corn would as well. As she studied her reflection, she heard the card key zip through the door – fortunately Ren had given her an extra one for her to use – and she quickly went to meet him. She frowned. He definitely looked exhausted, he must have had a really long day where he worked professionally at his jobs.

"Welcome home," she grinned as she dropped down into a bow and he blinked at her.

"Hi," he said as he studied her, "I'm home." He looked her over as Kyoko took a step back and started to shiver. He was going to tell her that he didn't like his new look, wasn't he? He was going to kick her out because she had done something stupid. He paused before gesturing to his own neck, "You look different. It's cute," he commented and Kyoko blushed, her entire face turning red.

"Umm," she shifted nervously, "Does that mean that you like it?" she asked and he nodded. Thank god that he wasn't going to make any insensitive comments, well then again Corn wasn't like Shotaro. "I prepared the salad. I had to make a dressing that complimented the flowers and I tried it when I was making it, it tastes really delicious," she grinned.

Ren raised an eyebrow, "Heh," he laughed softly, "Delicious? Are you sure?"

"I think so," Kyoko said before dashing off to the kitchen and returned with a bowl full of vegetables with the flower petals on top. She showed it to him before he followed her to where the table was. "I managed to experiment with a few things so I think you'll enjoy it. I'm not sure how much it'll be like those salads at the fairy kingdom but I'm hoping that you like it."

Ren paused, he would taste the salad before passing judgement on it, anything other than that might hurt her feelings and she looked so excited by what she had accomplished that day. He sat down as she went to the kitchen to get a bowl for herself. At least she had enough confidence in her cooking to eat with him. He hadn't eaten at home with someone for years, it actually felt really nice to not be alone.

Nervously, he picked up his chopsticks and she leaned forward to watch him. He picked up some lettuce and carrots whilst also managing to pluck a couple of petals up and with measured breaths he put it in his mouth. His eyes widened. Even someone who didn't like food and eating as much as he did had to admit that the salad was delicious. He took another bite before smiling at her, making her feel a little faint as he did so.

"It's delicious," he told her with the smile brightening the room and Kyoko felt as if he was sparkling. She definitely was dazed by how gorgeous he was even without his blond hair and green eyes. "Thank you, Kyoko-chan, for making me this dish. It definitely reminds me of the fairy kingdom."

Kyoko grinned as she took another bite for herself. This accomplishment meant a lot to her. Corn had already done so much for her and she was just starting to repay him for his generosity. She watched as he gazed at her and she wished that she could see the true him. Another part of her was excited that she was with Ren but she didn't want to be a foolish woman swooning over a celebrity, she had seen enough women have that reaction with Shotaro.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her and Kyoko blinked surprised, could he read her thoughts?

"I just…I wish I could see you for real, Corn" she said and he looked at her confused. "The hair, the eyes. Do you feel sad that you had to give them up when you became human?" she asked and Ren looked at her.

"Do you want to know a secret?" he asked and Kyoko leaned forwards. She watched him as he stood and cleaned his hands with water from the sink. He slowly and carefully pulled something out of his pocket and moved his hand towards his eyes.

Kyoko blinked as she saw the brown change to the emerald color. No. She had promised herself not to fall in love with him no matter how absolutely gorgeous he still was.

 **End of Act Four**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act Three**

Ashenvale, H-Nala, Julez, Kaname671, kotoko-98, MWEH, PaulaGaTo, Umiron

 **Author Response**

Well there will be a lot of funny reveals. There's going to be a lot of resistance on both sides not to fall in love with one another, failed though 😊 Thank you so much for everyone's support on this story.


	6. Act 5 - A Trip to the Acting World

**AN:** So, as said before, I'm going to be following some of the events of the manga but to make that happen I'm going to also have to change some events and manipulate them to get to the manga events. Still, I hope you enjoy 😊

 **Act 5 – A Trip to the Acting World**

Kyoko found herself gazing into those gorgeous emerald eyes without saying anything for far longer than she had intended. He was still so amazingly beautiful, just as a fairy should be. She felt as if she were in a trance as she stood up and walked towards him. She reached out a hand, wanting to touch his cheek before she blushed and looked down. No, right now Corn was pretending to be Ren Tsuruga and she wasn't really associated with him. They weren't friends, they weren't lovers, putting her hand on Ren's cheek would be inappropriate.

"What?" he asked her and Kyoko found herself gazing at his lips. They looked soft and she started to feel panicked. What was she doing? She shouldn't allow herself to be this way. Corn was her special friend, that's all there was between the two of them, friendship. Nothing more and nothing less.

"I just, I'm glad you liked dinner," she said and saw him nod.

"It was amazing. I've never enjoyed flowers more," he said honestly and Kyoko was struck by his blinding smile. It wasn't fair for members of the fairy royal family to have such powers. Corn wasn't thinking about his actions and this felt wrong. She shouldn't be getting involved with him in this way. She wasn't a fairy and maybe Corn was even meant to marry someone else, a princess or something. As much as she wanted to be a princess, she didn't feel she deserved the honor.

"Thank you," she whispered as she forced herself to stop looking at him. "Ren," she said softly and he turned to her, "Do you like your life as a human? Are you happy?"

"I love acting," he told her and Kyoko saw the pride he had when he talked about his profession, she felt envious in that way. "I really do. I feel that I give my whole heart to a role and in return the role develops and people tend to enjoy my performances. I mean," he leaned in closer to her and Kyoko felt that this wasn't fair, she was trying to live a pure life without the influences of love. "Do you like my performances?" he whispered in her ear and Kyoko paled.

She dropped her head. She felt so selfish. Since Shotaro really didn't like Ren, she had made sure that she didn't see any of his work in support of her idiotic former "friend". She looked nervously into those emerald eyes and felt tears in her own, she saw that playful look suddenly turn into one of concern. "I umm… I haven't…umm,"

"Then how about I show you some of it. On another night maybe?" he asked her and Kyoko nodded, bowing her head. She felt that she should have seen his goodness before. He hadn't done anything to hurt her and the idea of losing Corn's affection scared her so much it felt like a wound across her body.

"I'd love to see it," she said as her hands turned to fists, "I'd really love to. I'm sorry that I said such mean things about you before, I didn't mean it, I never wanted to say mean things about you but but I thought that it would please Sho…"

"Heh," Ren laughed softly, "There you go again with those mean things, I wonder if they were really that cruel, I wonder if that's how you really feel about me? I mean, even the meanest of words are brought forth to someone's lips because they bear some meaning and significance."

Kyoko shook her head in protest, "No. Corn, it's not like that. It's not like I really wanted to say mean things about you," she tried to tell him before looking away. "I'm glad that you're happy living your life as an actor. I want to see your work. I'm sure that if it's _you_ , it's amazing. I want to see it."

"Well then, we'll have to watch it together," he said before doing something which he would later regret. He moved up so that he was standing above her and then kissed her forehead. "Don't worry," he told her not seeing the way she was shaking with how strong her feelings were, "I forgive you, no matter what you said."

"Don't fall in love, Kyoko. Don't fall in love with him," she repeated to herself as she saw Corn move away from her. She smiled to herself. She had to get help, love was a foolish emotion and it was a man's way of playing games with her. As much as she trusted him, he didn't know what he was doing. She had to make a resolve to not fall in love with him.

…

…

Kyoko stepped out into the kitchen early in the morning to see the first signs of light reflecting onto Ren's hair. Through her blurry eyes, the way that the sun lit up his figure made her see that blond hair and it frightened her. If he had blond hair he would be even more beautiful and she would never be able to stop watching him. No, she had to stand strong and become a new woman. He was trying to live his life as Ren Tsuruga, she didn't want for her to get in the way of all of this.

"Mor-Morning," she whispered and he grinned to her.

"Good morning, Kyoko-chan," he said before moving over to her. He reached out and placed a soothing hand on her shoulder before whipping it away. Kyoko stared at him. He would often stop these affectionate moments before she had a chance to respond. Was that the point? Did he not want to show her affection?

"Did you sleep well, Ren-kun?" she said before stopping. Her stomach sank as she realized what she had said. No. That was really inappropriate, it was Ren-san, she wasn't dating him and he must be going out with someone in the industry, though he hadn't told her anything about that. "I mean, san, Ren-san."

He nodded before handing her a cup of green tea, "I made this this morning," he said. As Kyoko's face lit up in surprise he chuckled a little. "Don't worry, I'm not that bad at cooking that I can't even prepare tea. Enjoy," he told her and as Kyoko drank it, he sat down opposite her. She blinked into his deep brown eyes and sighed with a smile over her face, "I have a question to ask of you," he told her before taking a sip of his own drink.

Kyoko nodded as she sat there watching him, "What is it?" she asked and he grinned with another chuckle. His laugh was so infectious and if she couldn't stop blushing so much, Kyoko was convinced that she would have to see a therapist to cure her of this disease.

"Would you like to come into the agency with me?" he asked and Kyoko stopped.

Ren tilted his head to the side as he watched her whilst wondering if he would have to insert a coin or pull a string to get a reaction from her. She was completely frozen after he had said that to her. He hummed and watched as she nodded. She gazed at the tea as if she were working out a mental problem in her mind. "I don't know if I can dress accordingly with what I have," she told him and Ren blinked at her.

"You don't know what to wear?" he asked for clarification. "It's okay whatever you choose to wear. The agency is a big deal but the president, he doesn't really dress appropriately at all times and you'll be going as my guest."

Kyoko nodded nervously, "Is it really okay?" she squeaked out and Ren grinned to her.

"I think it will be fun. I'll be able to show you around but then I have to do some work later on so it will only be a short time," he said and Kyoko nodded excitedly. She had never even been invited to Shotaro's workplace. For Corn to trust her to be seen with him. She would have to explain numerous times that they didn't have a romantic relationship and he was just a friend that she had made when younger.

Maybe going to the agency would allow her to think of a plan of revenge too. She wanted to prove that she was worth more than the idiotic Shotaro Fuwa. She couldn't sing though and she didn't have the guts to try for something like acting but she wanted to be able to be in a position to look down on him. She wanted to force him to admit that she was beautiful and talented and apologize with a dogeza for wasting so many years of her life.

"Get changed soon, okay?" Ren asked as he tapped her nose and then looked down in surprise, he shouldn't be acting like her boyfriend or giving anyone the wrong impression of this relationship, he would have to stop this because he wasn't allowed anything precious to get taken away again. "We'll leave in twenty minutes."

"Okay," Kyoko nodded before bowing. She grinned at him as she rose from the bow, "Thank you. I'm really looking forward to today," she told him and he smiled at her again.

"I'm glad," he replied before she scurried off to get ready.

…

…

"Tsuruga-san, good morning," the girls at the front desk said as Ren entered making sure that Kyoko was beside him. They bowed deeply to him and he gave a partial bow in return before seeing that Kyoko was bowing frantically.

"I think once is enough, Mogami-san," he smiled to her and Kyoko blushed.

This agency was huge. She knew that in the entertainment world there were buildings and agencies that were magnificent in size and importance but this building had such a charm to it. She was definitely impressed. She stopped as she studied it and as she finally started to get her head she realized that she wasn't with him any longer. She looked from side to side nervously before seeing a girl watching her.

"Are you with Ren?" she asked before looking away with a pout on her lips. "I don't like people who like to manipulate Ren, are you one of those losers who try to think themselves as special?"

"One of those…" Kyoko said slowly before shaking her head, "I wouldn't consider myself special."

"You probably never have negative thoughts of anyone, you're just a woman with no brain," she announced before handing her a small box and Kyoko stared at her before opening it to see that it was a prop of a human heart with a dagger stabbed into it.

The girl stood back with her hands on her hips hoping for Kyoko to scream and drop the box, running off into the distance but Kyoko looked at the item. "This is pretty cool," she said, "It's a cursed object isn't it? I've been meaning to make one of them," she grinned as she girl stared at her as if she were some type of alien. "After all, revenge is a much better use of my time than love is. I don't want to feel that annoying emotion," she whispered and the girl continued to watch her.

"You're not in love with Ren?" she asked and Kyoko paused.

"I assure you that Tsuruga-san is only my friend," she said before grinning. "Do you know anything about curse dolls? I've been meaning to make one of somebody. Thank you for motivating me with this heart," she said before hearing footsteps coming from long strides behind her.

"So, you couldn't keep up, hmm?" he asked before Kyoko watched the small girl's face light up.

"Ren!" she said as she raised her arms up hoping for him to embrace her. Following her wish, Ren scooped her up into his arms.

"Hello, Maria-chan," he said as she hugged him close. "How are you doing today?" he asked, "This is my friend, Miss Kyoko Mogami," he introduced and Maria looked up at him innocently.

"You're not in love with her, right Ren?" she asked and Ren shook his head.

"Just friends, Maria" he told her, "I've shut my heart off to love."

"That's good," Maria whispered, "Love only hurts people," she said as she let her head rest on his strong shoulder. Kyoko nodded in agreement but as she looked at Corn she wondered what it was that made him so distant. Had he gone through a tragedy like hers? Who had been responsible for hurting him? She would never forgive her for taking Corn for granted.

 **End of Act 5**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you reviewers for Act 4**

Ashenvale, Blue Sky of Love, H-Nala, Julez, Kaname671, kotoko-98, Megumitasama, MWEH, PaulaGaTo

 **Author Response:**

First of all, thank you for the continued support, I can't begin to tell you how much these reviews mean to me. I really like Kaname671's idea of Ren eating flowers in front of Yashiro, definitely have to include that 😊 They definitely will be falling in love quicker than in the manga but there are going to be obstacles that prevent them from telling one another their feelings. As for the chapters being short, those of you who have been following me for a bit know that (a) I'm in school studying court reporting which is really hard/stressful, (b) I usually work about 27-35 hours a week in a retail job, and (c) I have issues with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. To me, a 2k word chapter balanced with a busy schedule isn't "short" but everyone has different opinions, I guess that comment kind of irked me even though I know the person didn't intend for it to but I wasn't to explain my situation.


	7. Act 6 - A Fairy Prince

**AN:** I know this sounds bratty and childish but I wanted to update today instead of yesterday because I got annoyed by something stupid. For those of you who have been following me for a while or at least a few months, you know that I actually prefer when I see 35 views on a chapter and 2 reviews rather than 200+ views on a chapter and only 5 reviews. I blame this site for giving me that information but I really don't like it so I'm going to use that as my compass to see interest. It's just a personal thing honestly but I wanted to explain that in case I feel bratty like that again.

 **Act Six – A Fairy Prince**

Lory sighed as he looked ahead at Ren, he put a hand to his forehead and then bowed his head with a dramatic pause. "Are you an idiot?" he asked and Ren turned around to look at him in shock. The president sometimes teased him about different things but he hadn't expected for him to call him an idiot. Then again, he had never lived with a woman before if you didn't include family. "You're supposed to be keeping a lid on you-know-who," he said and Ren sighed.

"Kuon isn't a Harry Potter villain, you know" he replied and Lory hummed a little annoyed by him. "I'll be careful. She doesn't even think I'm human so it'll be fine," he told him and the president frowned. He wasn't in love with this plan. After all of the precautions they had set up, it felt like Ren was recklessly exposing a secret that only he knew.

"She doesn't think you're human?" he asked and Ren sighed before sitting down.

"Yes, she thinks that I'm prince of the fairy kingdom," he said and Lory sat up in his seat. His expression was horrified and Ren didn't really understand how he had found more disgust in his statement than enjoyment and humor. It was true that she thought he was some magical being sent from a different dimension and only pretending to be human. Maybe she could be considered insane by people who didn't know her but that wasn't the response he was expecting.

"Ren, you of all people, I never expected this from you," he said and Ren blinked. "I mean given your history, your background. You know that I'm a fan of love in _whatever_ form it takes."

Ren laughed softly, "I'm telling you that she doesn't think that I'm human. Fairies aren't humans, they are magical creatures who exist outside of the normal society."

Lory paused, his anger and disappointment deepening and Ren wasn't sure what had brought forth him to be so angry. Maybe it was his lies, he was angry about him lying right, trying to hold a position that required him to act.

"Your parents would be appalled by you saying these derogatory terms," he said and Ren blinked. "It doesn't matter if she thinks that you're interested in other men, even if you _are_ interested in other men then you don't use those terms. You'd tell me, wouldn't you? If your attraction was led that way?"

"I love women," Ren said before turning things over in his head. His eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. "No, no. God no," he said as he hung his head and pinched his forehead. "No, with Kuon's history, never. _Kuon_ grew up in Los Angeles, he grew up around actors, models, makeup artists, stage crews. I would never give a statement like that," he said and Lory looked at him with surprise. "I would never say that people who were in love with the same gender were not human. No, she actually thinks I'm a fairy like in fairytales."

Lory seemed to relax a little with that and Ren still stared at the floor, he didn't know that the president would misinterpret his words that way. He wasn't homophobic. His mother had gay friends, he had grown up with his father telling him it didn't matter who loved who, you had to be respectful and empathetic despite another person's background.

"So," Lory told him as he managed to grin over the news. "She really believes that you're a magical creature, how on earth did you pull that off? I've wanted for my entire life to be able to be thought of as magical."

"Well, I think a number of people would say that you've achieved that," Ren replied before sighing. "She's a childhood friend. I don't think that she's crazy. Her mother, to my memory, was extremely neglectful and cruel to her, she grew up dreaming of princesses and princes because it took her away from her sad reality. When we met as children she believed I was a fairy and I guess that I managed to play the part too well."

"So, she doesn't know about Kuon?" Lory asked and Ren shook his head.

"She thinks that I'm Corn the fairy prince who is masquerading as a human here on Earth," he told him and Lory held back a laugh. "Yes, she thinks my name is Corn like the vegetable."

"And your feelings for this girl?" the president inquired and the actor shook his head.

"I have no feelings for her other than friendship and even if I did, you know that it is against the will of God for me to act upon it. I can't have important people. I have to live my life alone so that nobody ever gets hurt because of me again," he said and Lory sighed again.

"Great thing you asked her to live with you then," he commented and Ren gulped. Yeah, the two sentiments didn't really match up but he was swayed by her in many unexpected ways.

…

…

"Do they talk for a while?" Kyoko asked nervously as she looked towards the elevator. Kuon had bought both her and Maria something to eat and told them that he needed to discuss something important with the president of the agency. Kyoko had been nervous what that meant. Hopefully it wasn't about her and the fact that she knew about fairies.

"Sometimes, Grandfather is interested in Ren. I hope he's talking Ren into an arranged marriage," she said dreamily and Kyoko's jaw dropped. This child was too young to fall into such a trap. Arranged marriages were equivalent to death sentences.

"Uh," the teenager said awkwardly. "I would want to wait to get married actually I'm swearing off marriage. I don't want to ever get married. Never. Not after that jerk, maybe all men are like that, all human men anyway."

Kyoko stomped her foot angrily on the ground which made Maria pay her more attention. This was the type of anger that many girls didn't show even if they felt it. A lot of girls weren't as public with their dissatisfaction and would write their thoughts down in a diary. Maria was interested in Kyoko's direct approach.

"Did some man hurt you?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side and Kyoko growled.

"I wouldn't call that beast a man, he's more like an animal. He's a pig, a boar. I might even go as far to say that he's slime, dirt, a painful blister," she told her and Maria nodded slowly. Kyoko growled again as she tried to forget that arrogant smile, the way that he always put himself first. She had been such an idiot to think of herself as anything special and follow him all the way to Tokyo.

"You should get your revenge," Maria suggested and Kyoko turned to her in interest. "Maybe a curse doll."

"Curse dolls aren't enough," Kyoko said bitterly. "I want to strike him where it really hurts, have him bowed down in a dogeza and strike a whip against his back. I want to pull his hair out strand by strand until he has to hide his ugly bald head."

Maria looked away, "What does he care about most? Physical injuries go away but a man's pride once shattered, it's hard to rebuild a mortal's pride."

"His stardom, his fame, his stupid music," Kyoko whispered and Maria looked at her.

"Then you should try to be a bigger star than him so you can look down on him and laugh but there isn't much time before the audition process," Maria hummed and Kyoko looked at her in interest. "You were able to enter the agency this time because you were with Ren but if you became an even bigger star then you could move freely and take more decisive revenge on that other guy," she said as she tapped her finger against her chin.

Kyoko nodded slowly, not sure what had happened in this young girl's life to make her think this way.

"An audition process?" she asked and Maria nodded.

"I think that a talent might be easier to do than a singer or an actress," she suggested. "I'll get you a form and then we can devise a strategy for you to win. I don't think that I should just ask Grandfather though, he gets tough on people who he could be seen as having nepotism towards."

Kyoko paused and smiled. Yes, she would win against him in showbusiness because it was the one area where he felt the greatest pride. She would do this audition process and then debut as a huge star and then after a few months, she would be an even bigger name than him and he would beg her for forgiveness. This plan made a lot of sense to her. She was worried about Corn's reaction but he didn't need to know. She would work on this behind his back.

As she sunk deeper into her thoughts, she didn't hear a man approaching the two of them. She looked up. He seemed a nice, friendly man with classes, a nice suit, and a briefcase and…why was he wearing a glove on his hand? Probably one of those people who hated germs.

"Yashiro-san," Maria smiled at the man and he smiled back. "Ren is meeting with Grandfather."

"I know, he texted me to meet him here, said something changed at the last moment," he said before looking towards Kyoko. He bowed in a respectful manner, "Hello, let me introduce myself, Yukihito Yashiro," he said and Kyoko stood up quickly.

"I'm Mogami Kyoko," she said and as she looked up, she saw that Yashiro was rather taken aback. He looked at her from head to toe as if she were some strange creature that had just been discovered and needed to be protected.

"Yashiro-san is Ren's manager. He's in charge of Ren's schedule and work assignments," Maria explained and Kyoko looked at him before stiffening. Did he know of the fairy kingdom as well? She didn't want to expose Corn if he didn't but he was looking at her as if he were holding in a secret. She smiled weakly and he nodded.

"I expected that you would be older than Ren," he explained and Kyoko shook her head slowly. "Ah, well that doesn't really matter. I mean, forgive me for my rudeness, but Ren doesn't seem affectionate towards you so it should still work out okay. It will be harder to keep the information private."

"Information private?" Maria asked as she looked between them, "That she's Ren's friend from when he was younger?" she asked and Yashiro sighed. He studied Kyoko again and she wasn't sure whether he was expressing disappointment or just sizing her up as if wondering whether she was worthy of Ren.

"If you mean my living situation then I'd like that kept private as well," she said and Yashiro looked at her.

"Would you mind signing a nondisclosure agreement?" he asked before Kyoko stared at him. She knew about these legal forms and she wasn't going to tell anyone but sometimes secrets leaked and no matter how much you tried to hide something, somebody was going to find out. "I'll put a clause in stating that it would have to be a deliberate release of sensitive information."

"Su-Sure," Kyoko said awkwardly before she heard a familiar set of footsteps. "Tsuruga-san," she said as she turned back to him and Ren went over, putting his hand on Kyoko's shoulder.

"This is Kyoko," he told Yashiro before smiling at her and Yashiro suspected that there was more than friendship at play here. Well, it wouldn't do his client any good if he were to publicly date this girl. He'd have to do a bit more investigating on her because he wasn't going to risk Ren's flourishing career just because of pity towards someone he knew as a child.

 **End of Act Six**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews really are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act Five**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Megumitasama, misherukuro, MWEH, PaulaGaTo

 **Author Reaction:**

I know that it might be seen as a weird choice pushing the audition process through because of Maria but I wanted to put it somewhere. She also won't be telling Ren which will cause some tension between the two of them. I wanted to apologize if someone took my words wrong, I wasn't intending to bully anyone but with a busy schedule, it _is_ somewhat painful to hear that my chapters are short. It's more of my thing than you because I hear that often. Also, I am slowly working on my other fics during time when I'm neither studying or working.

The next five Skip Beat I have lined up are: Family History, For A Living, Saving Mr. Hizuri, The Little Prince, and Parenting Firsts. I do have some other ones lines up as well for other series' and these might change a little 😉 (the other series' for this next update, if interested are: Brother Bear, Gilmore Girls, Superman, and Aladdin)


	8. Act 7 - Indebted

**AN:** This chapter does include a direct scene from the manga but I've changed the timing on it a little. There will be scenes from the manga here but some of them will be changed and others will be rearranged, still, I really hope you enjoy the chapter.

 **Act Seven – Indebted**

Kyoko grinned to herself as she held the audition form. She didn't know which category to pick but the talent section was probably the easiest to get into and she would be using this as her platform for revenge. Plus, Corn really enjoyed his work as an actor and it might annoy him if she just copied this. He loved talking about being an actor and all the different roles he got to play and in Kyoko's mind that included Tsuruga-san.

She marked the categories and then put a picture of herself on the form. Maybe she could have taken a better picture especially if Corn had helped her but she had wanted to do this on her own. All she needed to do was submit the application and then she would hopefully receive a number for her audition. She went to the office where Sawara-san was, that was going to be the person who was in charge of her new section, the talent section.

Opening the door she saw how busy it was and she looked around for someone to hand the form too. Fortunately there was a young man, probably an intern or gofer or someone, who had his hands free. She walked over to him. "I came to give this to Sawara-san," she said and the man looked at her before looking at the audition piece.

"You're the one everyone is talking about," he said, "Tsuruga-san's friend and the woman that the president's granddaughter requested. Sure, we'll take this and then the audition details are already waiting for you per Maria-san's request," he gestured and Kyoko blinked hard as she saw an envelope with her name on it. So they really had been expecting her.

She wondered whether she should say anything but the intern had already been summoned over by someone probably twice his age and so she grabbed it with a grin on her face. They probably didn't know about her revenge plot and it was sneaky but things seemed to be turning out in her favor. She walked down the hallway with the details of the audition on the paper in front of her and then smacked into something tall and warm. She pulled back, quickly bowing in apology before hearing that familiar chuckle.

"What are you doing here, Mogami-san?" he asked and Kyoko froze. She didn't want to tell him about her revenge plot. He would probably scold her for thinking that way and she didn't want to see him disappointed in her.

"Maria-chan," she said nervously, "Maria-chan asked for me to come here." It wasn't a complete lie, Maria had told her to turn in the application, she had requested special clearance for her, and she had told her to come again so that they could chat about the cursed objects. Yeah, she had been able to enter the agency this time because of Maria but she hadn't thought that she would literally bump into Corn.

"I'm glad," he beamed, "that the two of you are becoming friends." He looked her over and then raised an eyebrow, he hummed as he continued to gaze into her eyes as if he were running a lie detector test within his head – wait, was he!? "Are you hiding anything from me, Mogami-san? Another reason why you're here?" he asked and Kyoko looked away.

"I was wondering if you'd be here. I was about to go grocery shopping but I didn't know what you wanted to eat and maybe if I came down here you would be able to tell me," she laughed and Ren took a step back in surprise.

"You wanted to ask me what I wanted for dinner?" he asked before sighing. He shook his head, "You didn't have to come all the way down here to ask me that. I'm sure that anything that you prepare would be absolutely delicious," he continued to smile to her and Kyoko nodded slowly. He hummed before taking a wrapped, square box out of his bag and handed her it. "That reminds me, I got you a little something so please make sure to use it," he said and Kyoko nervously opened the gift.

Her eyes widened as she saw a rose gold phone inside. She picked it up carefully and then saw him still smiling, he watched her excitedly, wanting to see her reaction to the gift. Kyoko took it out the box and turned it so that she could look at it. It was one of those expensive Apple 6 phones that had just been released. She hesitated.

"I can't accept this, Tsuruga-san," she blushed as she attempted to hand it back to him but he refused to take it. "This is too generous of you. I wouldn't be able to pay you back for it and the payments, I'll try to meet the monthly pay-"

"Everything is connected to my account so the payments for the calls that you make will come from my bank account, don't worry about that and I trust you not to make too many calls or prank calls," he said with that beaming smile still on his face. It made Kyoko feel worse about lying to him about the audition.

"Of course not," Kyoko said before dropping into a bow, "Thank you. Thank you so much," she said and Ren let himself chuckle as he thought about how cute she was. "You didn't need to do that."

"Of course I needed to get you a phone," he said before sighing dramatically. "I mean, what if I needed you to pick me up something from the store or what if I was in the hospital and needed to reach you or what if I needed my clothes taken to the dry cleaners. If you really are going to do my errands and take care of the house. I need to be in contact with you at all times of the day and night," he lied and Kyoko nodded.

"That makes sense," she smiled before looking away. "I really would like to be able to pay you back for the phone. Maybe I should try to find another job or something."

"How about you go to school first?" he asked, "The preparations are nearly set and since you'll be a transfer student, you'll need to take an exam but that will be okay as well, I know how smart you are," he grinned. "When you've completed some of your studies you may have a better idea of what job prospects you'd like to pursue."

"You mean…" Kyoko gasped, "You're paying for me to go to school," she paled. He was giving her too much and she felt that she was taking advantage of him. Yes, both he and Shotaro were using her as a maid so that they could continue in show biz but Shotaro hadn't given her a phone or free rent or even cared about whether she was going to school or not. How could one man be so kind and the other so demanding when they were asking her for the same thing? To work for them. "That's too much. I need to be able to pay you back otherwise I'll be in debt to you forever."

"I don't care," Ren shrugged, "It's not as if money is a problem for me," he saw her looking at the floor with the anxiety flowing through her body. "How about once you finish school and have found a job that you enjoy, you can pay me back then in monthly installments?" he asked and Kyoko nodded. She still felt guilty that she was taking so much for him but maybe she really could pay him back.

"Will you be on Earth that long though?" she whispered and Ren smiled in a relaxed manner.

"I'll be on Earth for the rest of my life. That is the deal I made with the fairy world," he said and Kyoko felt tears prick her eyes, "but it's okay. I like being an actor and maybe one day I can reveal that I am from another world but right now it isn't that time," he said and Kyoko quickly bowed again. She hated that she was lying to him but she could still take her revenge. She wouldn't get in Ren's way at all, especially if she was trying to get into the talent section here.

…..

…..

"You look happy about something," Yashiro commented as they walked through the TBM building to get to the set where Ren would be having his interview. He raised an eyebrow as he studied him. "Nothing happened with Mogami-chan, did it?" he asked and Ren shook his head. "Good. I wouldn't know how to explain it if the media found you were having sexual relations with one considered a child."

"She's sixteen," he told Yashiro, "first of all, she's sixteen which doesn't make this illegal since she's old enough to get married. Second, I don't have those types of feelings towards her, I don't even have romantic feelings towards her so you don't need to worry about that." He looked ahead of him and Yashiro nodded slowly.

"I'm just trying to tell you that if you don't handle things with her properly, it could negatively affect the public interpretation of your character. Now, if she does get exposed we're going to work with the childhood friend angle," Yashiro commented and Ren nodded in agreement.

As they walked down the hall though, there was a loud crash as something landed just before Ren's feet. He stared at it before turning his attention to the side where he saw the arrogant blond. This was the person who had broken Kyoko's heart. Ren had searched him up since they had been living together and he had started to truly dislike this asshole who had caused his treasured friend so much pain and heartache.

Their eyes met and Ren let his guard down as he glared slightly at the other man before realizing that they were in public and turned the expression into his gentleman's smile. He stared at the trash that was covering the floor and waited for the singer to make his first move. This was the guy who Kyoko had given special attention to and he was starting to see why she had come to despise him.

"My apologies," the blond shrugged as if it were an innocent mistake, "my legs are too long."

Ren frowned at him again before the smile reemerged, he nodded almost as if he were looking at a clown who had tried and failed to give a good performance.

"If I had noticed earlier that Tsuruga Ren is here, I would have been more cautious," he said in an arrogant way and Ren continued to smile through it. He wasn't going to be bated by him and more than that he wanted to prove to himself that he was worthy of Kyoko's friendship by not sinking down to his level. In fact, Ren pitied him, he was too much like him when he had first come to this country.

"I can understand," he said gently as his eyes tried to show the singer that he felt superior to him. "This type of accident always happens, long legs will always carelessly knock down some things." Ren hooked his foot under the trashcan so that he could scoop it up, standing it in front of his opponent. "The cover and trash on the floor, you must remember to clean it up."

He walked off, not even turning around to see the type of expression on the singer's face. He wasn't worthy of the extra attention. All he knew was that that guy had been responsible for the breakage in Kyoko's heart and she had been in love with him since before he had first met her. This guy was never going to hurt her again, he just wouldn't allow that to happen.

 **End of Act Seven**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews really are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act Six**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Julez, Kaname671, kotoko-98, Kris XD, ktoll9, misherukuro, MWEH, PaulaGaTo, Umiron

 **Author Response:**

Wow, a lot of support from the reviews I'm feeling very loved today. I don't like the idea of men falling in love with her apart from the four guys (maybe five with Kijima) who already do in the manga. Yashiro is mostly worried about the media and public reaction when it comes to Kyoko, he hasn't had the chance to get to know her yet so his concern is about Ren and Ren's image. I feel that Maria is mature in the manga, she seems to be more like a teenager than a girl which I think is one of the reasons for the Grateful Party arc, so that Maria can experience her childhood.

Also Kris XD, I love seeing your name. Really miss you. Your reviews never fail to make me smile. Hang in there! I'm rooting for you 😊


	9. Act 8 - The Auditions Begin

**AN:** Again some scenes from the manga were used but I tweaked them a little bit so that they could enter into this fic without disturbing the flow. The next chapter will also be about the audition and the reason this is out this early is that I couldn't sleep

on first draft i accidentally put cabbage instead of daikon. it was 4 am though

 **Act 8 – The Auditions Begin**

There was a good chance that Maria's influence was the reason that she had even been allowed into the audition process and maybe it was her hard work that had made it so that the Taisho at the restaurant lend her something very precious to him. Now she had everything all set for her audition and she was going to impress them. She was also studying for her entrance exam for the school that Corn had given her information for and she was making two dolls. One was a curse doll of Shotaro and the other was a charm doll of Ren.

"Whose child is this!?" Kyoko heard someone yell but she didn't want anything to distract her from preparing for her audition, she needed to keep her mind pinned to her desire, a position in the talent department of the agency. "Who brings a child to an audition!?" the girl yelled and Kyoko looked up to see a classy looking woman. She had on fashionable clothes and makeup and definitely looked more like a star than Kyoko did.

However, it was talent that was needed to pass these auditions and this girl might not have what it took to make it. Kyoko hummed as she saw a few people gathering around Maria and making sure she was okay. Kyoko put down the items for her curse doll and stood outside of the group.

"Can you leave her alone?" She asked and stared at Maria, she had a feeling what Maria needed and these overbearing girls were making fools of themselves. "I mean, you really don't know what you're doing. A child doesn't need to be mothered like that," she said before pinching Maria hard on the shoulder and the girls gasped backing away from her. "Don't cry," she said, "it'll just make things worse."

"You two are horrible to children," one of the girls said, "I wouldn't let either one of you get into the agency," she said and Kyoko frowned.

"Fortunately _you_ don't get to make that decision," Kyoko said, "It's -" she was about to continue but she paled when she heard the other girl yelling.

"Mo!" she said with a harsh laugh, "Don't compare me to some homey girl like her. Her housewife appearance is disgraceful. I would never let someone like that be associated with me, Mo," she said and Kyoko blinked before sharing a look with Maria and sighed. She didn't want to pay attention to this person. She didn't need to be insulted. Fortunately Ren didn't insult her like that. Hearing those words being said by Corn would devastate her.

"Good luck," Maria smiled to her before skipping off and Kyoko heard her group being called to the stage. She took a deep breath in before following the rest of the group. She was the additional number to the group and everyone else looked so put together. Maybe she should have asked Corn for help but his dreams were important enough to him for him to give up being prince in the fairy kingdom. She didn't want him to become angry that she was doing all of this to get revenge.

…..

…..

As Maria left the audition room and was walking down the hallway, her face lit up as she noticed Ren and Yashiro walking down the hallways. She ran over to Ren eagerly who picked her up in his arms and he grinned to her. "Ren," Maria said forgetting that Kyoko wasn't going to tell him for her own reasons. "Guess what, I just went to the audition room and Nee-chan was there."

"Nee…chan?" Ren asked before smiling. He didn't know who she was referring to but the fact that she had someone to talk to like a big sister was something that made him happy. Maria had problems with her own family, it would be nice if she considered someone other than him an unrelated older sibling. He looked at her, "There's something that you're calling nee-chan?" he asked and Maria froze.

"You know, Kyoko-chan" she said and Ren looked at her in shock and bewilderment. "I don't know her reasons," Maria lied, "Maybe she thought that she could get closer to you if she was a talent."

"If she was a talent?" Ren repeated he looked back at Yashiro but the manager didn't seem to offer much help. He shook his head. Maybe he had inspired her but he wanted her to be happy with what she was doing in her life and he wondered whether her being a talent was what she wanted to do. He would respect her choice if she had a passion for it but if it was just to get closer to him then he wished that she had just told him that.

"I can't really crash an audition process," he said as he turned to Yashiro hoping that he had the answer and Yashiro nodded.

"We have to get to our next location anyway," he said and Ren hummed.

Ren placed Maria down on the ground, "Thank you for telling me this, Maria," he told her and Maria blushed.

"Do your best!" she called out to him and Ren grinned at her before nodding. He turned his attention to Yashiro.

"I really didn't think that she had this kind of interest in the acting world," he said before thinking about what Maria had said. This was a girl who had followed a guy to Tokyo only to be used by him. A lot of girls would have questioned what he had been doing when he wasn't with them but Kyoko had just sat patiently and waited for her so-called prince to return to her side. The same thing might sadly be happening at this time.

If she wanted to be a talent and look into hosting a talk show then she still had a lot to learn and maybe she should try to attend the training school, he wouldn't mind sponsoring her in that as well. He just didn't want her to be doing it for him or because of him.

"You care about this girl, don't you?" Yashiro asked him and Ren nodded. "Well, I can't pretend that you getting involved with her isn't going to make the media speculate but I should be rooting for your happiness. You're pretty much the cleanest actor at your level. The press have been hungering for something other than your impeccable work ethic for a while."

"Is that so?" Ren asked with a grin, "Maybe I should give them something to speculate on, huh?" he asked and Yashiro quickly shook his head trying to reject the idea. "It's not going to be Mogami-san though. We only have strictly platonic relations, she's a childhood _friend_. I don't think that it should be seen as a troublesome thing for me to have at least one friend."

"Of course not," Yashiro quickly replied, "Heaven forbid you should ever think of me as your friend, you're too detached from everyone around you, you pretend that you aren't but you seem to keep a wall up."

Ren blinked, "You want to be my friend?" he asked him and Yashiro sighed.

"Yes, Ren. I would like to think that our working relationship includes some element of friendship after all of these years," he said as he checked the schedule again and Ren smiled at him.

"Then that would mean I have more than one friend, wouldn't it?" he asked as they entered the garage of LME. He walked over to the car. "That makes me feel pretty special now, doesn't it?"

…

…

Kyoko stood on stage, prepared for what they might throw at her. She didn't want to let them down and she had Maria and even Ren backing her, although the president didn't know that that Ren wasn't even aware that she was here. He had entered in such a bright and flashy style that her head was still spinning as she attempted to take it all in.

"Please tell us why you're interested in entering LME as a talent," she was asked and Kyoko smiled before grabbing the microphone. She would speak as honestly as she always did and maybe they would give her a chance.

"I want to catch up with Sho Fuwa from the Akatoki Agency as soon as possible," she said clearly only to be met by wide eyes and the sound of crickets. She could hear people gossiping about her being a fangirl but she didn't react to that. She was clear in her mission and she wasn't going to let anyone deter her from it. This was a plan that she wanted to see through to the end.

The buzz around the studio was growing louder and louder and she could hear people laughing but she wasn't going to let the laughter break her. Shotaro had already tried to break her worse than any of the simple-minded girls who wanted to be actresses and singers.

"This is the girl who is friends with Ren, right?" Matsushima asked as Sawara looked a little nervous. He had seen first hand that there was something different about this girl. No, not in a show business way but some sort of paranormal activity. Maria had some interest in curses, could this girl actually be a witch.

"I was hoping that Ren would have coached her for this," Nakazawa complained. "I mean, I'm glad she's not using her connection to him but could she actually be using him? She wants to be the first member of the Fuwa fan club," he groaned but all three of them stared at the president as he started to talk, his interest in her showing in his facial expression.

"I wouldn't be so sure," he said, "If the girl was just after Sho Fuwa she would've applied to the same agency in my opinion," he told them and Matsushima shook his head.

"She just chose this agency so she can use whatever connection she has with Ren-san," he tried to argue with the president and he shook his head.

"As I see it, if she wanted to be with Fuwa then there would be no chance that she would make her connection with Ren publicly known. Ren is smart enough to know when someone is using him, I've seen it before. This girl wouldn't be seen with Ren knowing that Fuwa is known to hate Ren's guts. He would hold no interest in that," the president analyzed and Sawara nodded his head in agreement but the other two sighed. They didn't want to argue with Lory but it still looked as if she were using her relationship with Ren to fuel her.

As Kyoko left the stage she thought about the special talent in which she would be showing them. It wouldn't be connected to acting or singing though, she wasn't interested in those areas, she would just be showing them something that she could do and she didn't think any other person auditioning would know," she tapped her bag. Her weapon was still inside as was the daikon that she had bought that morning.

She could still leave a lasting impression on them.

She closed her eyes and took some deep inhales before letting them out. She just had to stay calm. Fortunately, Ren wasn't aware of this. She would hate for Corn to lose faith in her. Hopefully he would never find out about this audition until she started working for the agency. He'd forgive her if she worked hard and took her job seriously. That was just who Corn was.

 **End of Act 8**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 7**

H-Nala, Kaname671, kotoko-98, KrisXD, misherukuro, Paulagato, The Real Jackie-O

 **Author Response**

Kuon/Ren is going to have a different kind of reaction to the audition process in this fic but there will be some tension between the two of them. As for Yashiro, because he didn't meet Kyoko in the way that he did in the manga, someone who annoyed Ren but had more acting potential and guts with her fracture, his response follows the same as Kimiko, he's worried about what would happen to Ren's image if he was with someone younger. He doesn't know the difference between Kyoko and Kimiko yet so he's being careful and considerate of Ren which I find very in character personally. He also told Ren that he could ditch Setsu if he was bothered by her in the Heel siblings arc.


	10. Act 9 - The Reason for Acting

**AN:** This chapter is a little shorter than the others. I did think about adding another scene but I thought it would be better having it as a longer scene next chapter 😊 I also like the idea of Taisho giving her the Daruma so I'm going to be putting that in it as well.

 **Act Nine: The Reason For Acting**

Kyoko smiled as she managed to showcase her skill of turning a daikon radish into a rose, she had been able to balance herself this time and do it perfectly because she had thought about the pride that Corn might have as he watched her do this. It definitely was a spectacular sight and though other people had skills that were more in line with what they were auditioning for, Kyoko felt proud of what she had shown.

She stepped off the stage before bowing and went to put the knife back in her bag. As she did so, she looked at the phone and saw that there was a message on there. Of course only Ren knew her number though she was going to give it to the couple at Daruma-ya so that they could phone her if there was an additional shift. She picked up the phone and listened to the message, a blush slipping over her cheeks.

"Hi, I thought I'd check in to see how you were doing today. Don't forget to set up your own voice mail, okay? I'm interested to know how your day went."

Kyoko looked down as she closed her eyes. She didn't want to lie to him but he seemed to be interested in what she was doing and she didn't want to tell him about the audition. Corn took acting so seriously that he might be disgusted that she had used the audition as a way of seeking revenge. Maybe she could think of something else to occupy her time or she could always give him a vague answer. He had done so much for her and given her so much, it would be wrong of her to let him down.

She picked up the phone before calling him back only for it to go to his voice mail. Of course he was busy, he was acting as Ren Tsuruga and he must be twice as busy as Shotaro. That only made her feel more special that he had left her a message. She blinked before realizing that she was still on the message service. "Oh my gosh," she said as her eyes widened, "Yeah. Today is okay. I'm doing things. Thanks for checking up when you're really busy. Have a good day," she said before hanging up.

She froze. That must have been a really strange message to leave on his phone and it might make him even more suspicious. Should she leave him another message or wait until he came home that night to speak with him.

"The list for the next step is being posted," she heard a girl say excitedly and Kyoko had the idea of leaving a second message leave her mind. Was her skill enough for her to pass into the next round. She rushed to look at the list before seeing her name there. She had done enough to pass and now it was only a few simple steps towards completing her revenge plan.

She took another deep breath in and turned off her phone to do the next stage of the audition.

…..

…..

"I still don't know why you hired her," Ren said honestly as he and Shinkai sat alone in a room. Ren usually was nice to everyone so the fact that he was saying something so harshly about his costar was a shock but Ruriko had been messing things up for a while and slowing down production and the president and director were still very passionate about her appearing in the project. Ren just wished she took more pride in her work. He liked people who followed their hearts and weren't going to lose confidence.

"That's interesting for you to say, you usually are always very nice to the other actors," Shinkai said and Ren sighed as he looked away. "Is something bothering you, not that I'm trying to pry into your life but if something could delay filming."

"It's not going to delay filming," Ren said. He shook his head, why was he getting so worked up about this. He should keep his mind on his work so that he could pursue his dream of returning to America and working in Hollywood. He was only worried about the effect that he was having on Kyoko. Was she incapable of not doing something for a guy? No. That was really harsh. She might not be auditioning because of him and so he shouldn't make inaccurate judgments.

"So there is something bothering you?" Shinkai asked and Ren looked away.

"Nothing of any importance. Don't worry, I won't delay filming and aren't we in preproduction right now. The first TV interview happens soon so maybe she'll turn up for the real shots, maybe she's just busy," Ren said and Shinkai raised an eyebrow.

"If it was just a busy schedule then I doubt that the president would ask for our involvement and help. I hate people who can't be bothered to do their job and act like divas, that's why I enjoy working with you so much, Ren," he said and Ren smiled to himself. At least his work ethic was being noticed.

"Are you sure that you don't want a girlfriend?" Shinkai continued and Ren paused. He didn't want to think about that and he was worried about what his relationship with Kyoko might be seen as. He didn't want to pull her into his web of lies but was it too late for that, he _had_ already been lying to her about not being human.

"I'm more interested in my work," he said and Shinkai sighed.

"Very well," he told him, "I'll see you tomorrow," he said and Ren bowed and stepped out of the office to see Yashiro there with a grin over his face. Ren had the very strange suspicion that his manager had been listening to that conversation or at least the last parts of it.

"Are you sure that you don't want to have that Kyoko girl as your girlfriend?" he asked with a waggle of his eyebrows and Ren sighed. He looked straight ahead so that his facial expression didn't betray him.

"She really is just a friend," he attempted to explain and Yashiro nodded slowly. "She _is_ " Ren tried to emphasize and Yashiro hummed.

"Still, living with a woman in such close quarters," he commented, "Having her audition at LME with you as her inspiration, that kind of sexual tension is hard to avoid. I would like to speak to this girl a little bit more. If this _does_ appear in the media I want it to be as little of a scandal as possible."

Ren nodded, "Don't worry. We won't end up as a couple."

That was something that he wouldn't be able to assure Yashiro of as his feelings for her were growing day by day, she'd have to do something really stupid to make those feelings stop or to even slow down.

…..

…..

Kyoko stared in shock as Kanae Kotonami gave a teary response to the false phone call and Kyoko wondered what it was that she was responding to with such energy. She wondered if she could do the same. This girl seemed to have more talent in her than Kyoko wanted to give her credit for and as she ended the call, the girl tossed the phone to her as if discarding an old gum wrapper whilst the judges applauded her for her skill.

Kyoko frowned before trying to picture Ren. She froze and shook her head. No. She had to picture something else or she would act like one of those stupid sappy women and there was no way that she wanted to drop down to their level. No. Ren would definitely be the wrong person to think about.

She stood up from her seat and held the phone to her ear as she tried to clear her head.

"I was such an idiot," the voice said over the phone and Kyoko froze. She felt something come up in her chest like bile. She didn't feel comfortable hearing this voice and the revenge idea entered her mind. It might have been better _had_ she thought about Corn and his kindness but now that she was thinking of Shotaro, he was all that was in her mind. "I was out with a lot of women since then, but it somehow didn't work out. They say that I'm difficult to handle due to my ego."

Kyoko stared ahead of her. Her triggers were all being pulled and soon the elastic would snap back into her face. She tried to calm her breathing and think about Corn and that made her feel even worse. Why was she having such a reaction to Corn going out with other women. Maybe it was because those women would exploit him, they would take advantage of him being a fairy if he were ever to tell him the truth. No. Corn had to be protected from those women so she had to keep her thoughts on that annoying guy who had tried to use her as a maid without any love in his heart.

"So then I realized how much you love me from the very beginning. For me there was only you. I'm aware that I'm rushing. Forgive me but…"

Kyoko felt her heart strain as she thought about how many cruel people there were out there in the world. There were always people who would abuse you and take you for granted and she didn't want to let another one of those people into her life. She felt a dark energy surround her. Other women, once you ditched the first woman you couldn't claim her again with a simple apology. Hopefully Corn was aware that human kind often acted in these ways.

"But couldn't we give it another go?"

Cruel. People were so cruel in this world and not only did she have to protect herself from their cruelty but she had to make sure that these people were nowhere near Corn. Corn was a fairy, he would probably give someone like this another chance.

She had to react but she didn't want to forgive these people, "Another go?" she asked feeling that this was a pretty stupid request, she wanted to act honestly. "I'm so happy. I have waited for you to ask me back." Damn these people! She threw the phone onto the ground, "Did you really think I would reply so? Asshole! If forgive me would make up for everything then we wouldn't need hell!"

She froze as she had realized she had broken the cell phone through her anger and as she looked back at the judges she knew that she had failed. The only silver lining was going to be that she hadn't disappointed Corn because he didn't know about this. She sighed as she looked down. He didn't need to know how this had gone. She just wanted to keep him smiling. He was a really good guy and very special to her. If that frown was going to disappear from his face for even a second, it would be hard to forgive herself.

Little did she know that he would return home excited to hear how this audition had turned out.

 **End of Act Nine**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act Eight**

H-Nala, Kaname671, misherukuro, PaulaGaTo, The Real Jackie-O

 **Author Response**

Don't worry about the insomnia, I took an Ambien the night after and managed to balance out my sleep a little bit. He will eventually tell her he's not a fairy but that will come a little later and either because he feels guilty or during an argument between the two of them. I accidentally wrote cabbage instead of daikon the first time because it was so early in the morning.


	11. Act 10 - Like a Daruma

**AN:** Hopefully this is okay. I had something sad happen to me to do with my job so I hope my writing isn't affected .

 **Act 10 – Like a Daruma**

Kyoko had been preparing Corn a soup as he entered the shared apartment and she was going to sprinkle some flower petals on top. She smiled as she saw him enter the apartment and bowed to him, going to meet him. "Welcome home," she told him and saw him grin.

"I'm home," he replied and Kyoko smiled but saw the curious look on his face. Had something happened today? Was it right to ask about it? She was still feeling defeated after failing the audition and not getting chosen but she was trying to mask that disappointment in herself. If she showed it then Ren would ask her what was wrong and she might blurt out about the audition so that he wouldn't get worried. It was better if she didn't say anything.

"How was your day?" he asked her as if expecting something and Kyoko smiled.

"It was fine," she said feeling that she shouldn't be smiling but nobody really questioned smiles. "I made some soup and…"

"Is there anything that you'd like to tell me about your day?" he asked. He tilted his head to the side, looking at her more carefully. He wanted to know the truth about the audition. He wasn't going to get annoyed if she said that she tried out because of him despite him not wanting her to put a guy first anymore. Maybe it was only certain guys who he should worry about.

"I can't think of anything," Kyoko said nervously and Ren blinked.

"Really? You can't think of anything out of the ordinary that you did today?" he asked her and Kyoko shifted uncomfortably. He was speaking in pretty vague terms. Did he know about the audition? No. Of course he didn't because she hadn't really told anyone that he knew about it…unless…

"No, nothing," she said and Ren frowned.

"Maria told me about the audition," he told her and Kyoko's mouth dropped open, she shifted again. "I don't think Maria meant any harm in telling me if it was a secret between the two of you. I'm surprised but I'm not angry. I take it that you didn't pass but if you train there's still the one six months from now," he smiled and Kyoko looked at him weakly.

"No, I…I didn't pass," she said and Ren sighed.

"It takes a lot of practice to get through the audition in the first place. People have been training for years for that. I mean, there are some people who have dreams of being an actor or singer when they are three or four years old and have built their lives around that goal, I wouldn't be so worried about not being as good as one of them," he told her. He was attempting to comfort her but Kyoko still felt a little strange about it. Maria must not have told him the reason for her wanting to enter show business.

"Yeah," she said weakly, "Did you pass your audition?" she asked and Ren shook his head.

"I'm a special case, I didn't have to pass an audition," he told her, "Hopefully that doesn't make my work look inferior. I'm one of those people who knew they wanted to be an actor at a young age and tried to build my life around it, I made quite a few sacrifices for it."

"They have drama and acting in the fairy world?" Kyoko asked as her eyes lit up wanting to know more about this.

Ren paused. He was hesitant to continue this lie but he still nodded, "The dramatic arts are even more flashy and exciting in…fairyland," he said and Kyoko grinned. "But I felt that because of my father's influence, I was getting picked for things that I wasn't ready for and so I wanted to come here because it felt a little easier," he lied but he saw that Kyoko was buying it.

"So why did you want to go and try out as a talent," he asked her and Kyoko nervously shifted.

"I don't know," Kyoko said automatically.

"You don't know?" Ren asked as he raised an eyebrow, "Hopefully it wasn't to get closer to me. I wouldn't want that, I mean, you should be making decisions and choices because you want to make them not because anybody else does. I hope you don't think that I'm pushing you to join LME."

"No, I don't think you're pushing me," Kyoko said quickly so that she didn't disappoint him. "You're not the one that I auditioned because of…" she paled. She had more or less told him her secret.

"I'm not the one?" he asked before coming closer and Kyoko felt uncomfortable. It was as if he was trying to read her and use ESP or something like that. "Then who is the person that you auditioned because of?" he asked and Kyoko felt that she was caught.

"I…well I wanted…umm," she bowed her head and closed her eyes so she couldn't see his expression. "I wanted to get revenge on Shotaro and I thought that this was the best way to do it, to become more famous than him. I did it out of revenge."

There was a cold chill and Kyoko closed her eyes even more, she had a really bad feeling about this. "You did it out of revenge?" he asked and Kyoko nodded nervously. She was expecting for him to say something that would cut her deeply but instead, he turned to her without saying a word and went into his bedroom leaving Kyoko standing there.

He was really angry, wasn't he?

…..

…..

Corn had gone to bed early the previous night and he had left before she woke up that morning. She should have had more tact and not told him what she was doing but it was fair right, all was fair in love and war and she could act as a talent to get revenge because it didn't really involve Corn. She didn't want to tell him that one of the reasons that she failed was because her imagination had come up with a story about somebody hurting him and taking advantage of him. That wasn't as important as his opinion of her, especially since he had acted so kindly.

Still, she had to go and return the knife to Taisho and so she had woken up as soon as the restaurant was opening. This was Taisho's precious knife and at least it had moved her a little further in the audition process then she might have been without it. She sighed before seeing the Okami-san coming out to greet her.

"Kyoko-chan," she said happily, "Good morning. What brings you here so early, I thought that you had the evening shift."

"I came back to return this," Kyoko told her as she held the knife, "And to thank Taisho for allowing me to borrow it for the audition. I'm sorry that I didn't actually make it, I guess I'm not cut out to do that type of thing."

Okami-san sighed, "There are often stumbling blocks but come inside, I'll get you breakfast," she said and Kyoko shook her head. She didn't want to impose on them. Okami came closer to her, "Kyoko-chan, I thought that you'd want to return the knife in person, it would be no trouble to get you breakfast, you're always welcome here."

"Okami-san," Kyoko bowed, "Thank you for your warm hospitality. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to change my residence, something happened with the apartment and I had to move. I know the personal files have my address listed so I need to update that."

"Something happened with your apartment?" Okami-san asked nervously, "Have you found somewhere else to live. We have an extra room if you need somewhere to rent, of course the rent would be very cheap because of how hard you work for us," she said and Kyoko paused. It was wrong to accept their offer, right? After all, they weren't family and at least Corn was her childhood friend. Then again, Corn had been incredibly angry with her the night before.

"I've found somewhere temporarily," she told her before bowing again, "May I please consider the offer?" she asked and Okami-san nodded before guiding her inside and having her sit at a table.

"I'll bring over the food when it's ready," she said and Kyoko paused. She looked around. Somehow the restaurant felt like she was home. This wasn't the type of feeling that she got with Corn's place although she was excited to be living with him. She closed her eyes. She didn't want him to hate her. She wanted only good memories with Corn but maybe she had lost her chance with him.

As she sat there, the Taisho came over to her and handed her a Japanese breakfast bento. He sat opposite her. "You didn't pass it?" he asked and Kyoko stood up, she bowed quickly.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I borrowed something very precious to you and then I was unable to pass the audition which was the reason why I borrowed your precious knife. I'm sorry." She said and the Taisho looked at her.

"Apologies waste energy," he said and Kyoko's eyes widened nervously. Was he angry? Those words sounded like he was expressing his anger? She panicked. She hadn't wanted for him to hate her. "Try again."

"I don't think I can," Kyoko admitted sadly, she dropped her head and Taisho gave a hum in response. He stood up, "I'm sorry," Kyoko whispered, "I guess I've lost heart."

Taisho walked away and Kyoko assumed it was to return his knife to where he kept it. She picked up her chopsticks and was about to eat when the Taisho returned. As Kyoko saw that he was back, she sat up in her seat with an even straighter back and watched him. Was he going to fire her?

"This," he said as he set a Daruma in front of her and Kyoko blinked, "Is you," he said and Kyoko stared at the red figure. The Taisho pushed it over and then it sprang back up. He pushed it again for the same result. "Now you get up and try again," he reminded her.

Kyoko blinked at the figure before smiling, she nodded excitedly. Those were the words that she had wanted to hear, she had wanted to be told that she could do it if only she gave it another try. It was worth another try.

She smiled as she picked up the Daruma and bowed with a smile now on her face, "Thank you," she told him and he nodded before allowing her to finish her food. Kyoko looked up at the two of them. Would accepting the room really be such a bad idea? She didn't want to fail Corn and she didn't want to see the look of disappointment on his face ever again.

…

…

Kyoko stood facing the LME building. It might be hopeless but she could start as a maintenance worker and work her way up as a star. All she needed was to get her foot in the door. She looked around. She might not be able to get into the front of the building but there was a side entrance. She could sneak through there. The risk came that she didn't know if Ren was going to be there or not. She took a deep breath not knowing that Ren was watching her out of an upper floor window.

"Ren?" Yashiro said, "You should come," he advised. Ren turned to him. "Is something out there?" he asked before seeing Kyoko pacing.

"I'm really curious on what she's going to do," he commented and Yashiro nodded. If Ren was curious then he was even more curious what his childhood friend would do.

 **End of Act 10**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 9**

Ashenvale, Guest, H-Nala,a Kaname671, Kris XD, misherukuro, MWEH, paulagato, The Real Jackie-O, Umiron

 **Author Response:**

I'm really glad that people are enjoying this story. I did change Yashiro because of the reviews, people didn't think he was in character so I tried to add some of the Yashiro character that people wanted. This fic is actually my most updated right now so it only has 11 chapters but there are others which haven't been updated since September.


	12. Act 11 - Welcome to LME

**AN:** The end scene in this chapter lifts heavily from the manga but Ren has good intentions this time. I hope I made it different enough that you don't just feel like you're reading the manga. I'll be doing this time to time just to stay close to Nakamura-san's story.

 **Act Eleven: Welcome to LME**

"You seem in a bad mood," Yashiro commented as he and Ren walked to the next location. Ren sighed, he didn't want to think about what was going on because he was upset that Kyoko had become so different from the girl that he knew. She was investing time in her anger and Kuon felt that that was detrimental to her. She deserved to be happy and this want for revenge was going to lead her to be unhappy. Still, he cared about her. There was just that one flaw.

"I'm not in a bad mood," Ren replied with a gentleman's smile, "Yes, nothing is going on."

"You don't _have_ to live with her, you know? You could help her find an apartment and there might be rooms to rent, maybe she knows somebody who will allow her to stay with them."

Ren shook his head with a sigh, "As much as I know, she doesn't really have anyone that is going to offer her that and that's not the only reason why I care for her," he paused, "I mean, I care about where she's going to live. I don't know, I feel that maybe I should have spoken to her last night, made an exception and tried to find out why she wanted to use LME as her place for revenge."

"Would someone committed to your job as much as you are really accept such an explanation?" Yashiro hummed. He would store the information about Ren caring for her until later on, it wasn't worth bringing it up now.

"I think for her I would," Ren sighed before looking away. "I just wish that she would spend her time on things that make her happy because of her. She should try to make her own life even if that does revolve around makeup and shopping. I'd be happy if she did have a shopping addiction," he said and Yashiro raised an eyebrow.

"You don't seem to be someone to want to experience that type of a lifestyle, putting your car aside you don't spend a lot on yourself," Yashiro hummed wondering if that was stepping over the line and Ren bowed his head.

"Who says that that's a good way of spending my money. I'd prefer to save it," Ren replied before looking aside. _I don't deserve to spend too much on myself anyway, not after what I've done, the pain that I've caused. It would be wasteful._

"So," Yashiro said as he saw Ren retreat into himself, "How about we go to the interview spot. I'd recommend of thinking of someone else but Kyoko," he said and Ren smiled weakly. He didn't know how well he'd be able to keep his mind off of that girl.

…

…

Kyoko had tried to think of a way to get back into the LME industry even if she had to work as someone who helped the crew or helped paint sets or something like that. There had to be _something_. She looked around, she hated to rely on Maria with her being so young but Maria was so mature for her age. Kyoko sighed and looked around. The star entrance would probably be able to get into to see someone who could help her.

Sneaking around to the side, Kyoko was going to approach this as a run. She would make sure that the guards didn't catch her and then that Sawara person she had met, she was going to ask them for help. Maybe they would take her to see the president of the agency and then she could ask him for a job. It was a better plan than most.

Kyoko took a deep breath in before running in and then felt herself crash into someone. Her eyes widened as she saw bags flying back. Damn it. This person was probably like a mega star or something and this was an incredibly bad situation that she had made for herself. With the instincts that she had built as a child, she dropped down into a bow. As Kyoko took note of who it was, she paled. This actress was a legend, Kimiko Kamio, and she had just knocked her backwards.

"Please forgive me," Kyoko said nervously as she shook. She was very nervous about causing this woman to crash down. She had been trying to work at this agency and they would never hire someone as irresponsible as she was now. This woman would most likely have her banned from the agency.

Kimiko looked at her and glared at her, eyeing her as if she was inferior in every way. "If you are sorry then don't just stand around instead help me up at least!"

Kyoko paused, she looked at her. That should have been her very first instinct. If someone falls onto the floor because of you, then you should help them up. It was common sense.

Kyoko bowed in the way that she had learned as a child and closed her eyes, trying to show her respect and hoping that it wasn't too late to do so. "I must really apologize for my carelessness," she told her. She tried to show how sorry she really was but she doubt that a star such as Kimiko Kamio would forgive her, she was notorious for being a diva.

"I haven't see you around before," Kimiko huffed, "Newcomer!?" she asked and Kyoko froze.

She would be as soon as she had climbed the ladder so it wasn't such a lie to reply as if she was, she blushed before speaking softly, "Yes."

"Then don't come through here!" Kimiko scolded her, "Didn't your supervisor tell you that newcomers use the main entrance," she said and Kyoko blinked at her. What was the correct response to _that?_ She wasn't really a newcomer and so she didn't have a supervisor. Was it best to lie and say that she had one? Was Sawara-san a supervisor? She knew his name. Kimiko stared at her in disbelief, "Are you in fact _the_ newcomer from the just-only established section!?"

Kyoko paused. She didn't know what to say to that. How should she respond when she didn't even really know about the sections. This woman was expecting for her to give a response and Kyoko didn't know whether to lie or to tell the truth. Lying to Corn hadn't gone in her favor and now she was scared that he would kick her out of his apartment and want nothing to do with her.

Kyoko froze as Kimiko handed her the bags that she was carrying, "You can at least show you're sorry by taking care of my bags," she told the newly-dyed chestnut haired girl. Kyoko wondered where she would be going but as she heard Kimiko call out, her strength faded just a little.

"Yuuhuu! Tsuruga-kun!" she called out and Kyoko grew pale. She hadn't seen Corn that morning because he had left before she got up and she hadn't been able to talk to him or offer an apology for taking LME as a joke. What if he took her coming back here as her mocking him for his work? She watched as Kimiko moved forwards.

"I was stuck in a traffic jam. Nothing moved, horrible. I'm sorry that you had to wait for me," she said with a soft laugh and Kyoko bowed her head. If Ren always had women apologizing to him, did he feel bad for duping them, for pretending that he was a human instead of a fairy.

She looked nervously as she hid in the corner and saw Ren tilt his head to the side with a fake smile, "Uh-huh?" he asked. "Well if you would use the time you waste of makeup for the journey, you'd be punctual."

Ren looked at her before feeling his breath of how annoyed he was. He was already frustrated because of Kyoko and now he had to deal with divas who didn't care about his own time. He expected her to be late which was a problem. News of her tardiness had swept across the acting community and why was his time any more valuable than the other actors that she had worked with? He was a junior actor, after all.

"Let's hurry. The ensemble is already waiting impatiently," he said behind his gentleman's smile and Kyoko flinched as if he were using it towards her. Ren was trying to hold back his anger about other situations but unfortunately this had ticked him off and he wasn't willing to be patient.

Kyoko hid again. She closed her eyes and pretended to be invisible. "By the way, don't you have any luggage?" he asked her and Kyoko took a deep breath. They would see her. They would see her and she would have to interact with Corn without knowing how he was feeling. She had hoped that their next discussion would be at the apartment and not at the agency. He could easily get her kicked out.

"Mogami-san," Sawara said and Kyoko finally managed to see him. She tugged the suitcase along and Ren opened his mouth, struggling with the same feelings she was. She was only a teenager, sixteen years old and he hadn't been the most well-behaved teenage boy. She was probably struggling andshe had a reason to. He should have treated her with a bit more compassion.

"I am totally speechless," Sawara commented, "You immediately began with the work? Did you in the end hear about the certain plan!?" he asked excitedly and Kyoko froze. Well, this was her chance no matter what Corn's response was.

"Um, Sawara-san, I…" she tried to say passionately, "I came here because I simply can't give up on show business. I won't even rest in my tomb. I can cook, wash, and clean tremendously. I could be the agency's pearl," she said. She knew that Sawara seemed to be agreeing her but she couldn't hear him over her desires. She should have stopped and listened but when she got started, she sometimes couldn't stop. "I beg you Sawara-san. I will accept every thinkable task! So be it light-double or water-carrier, if necessary make-up artist or scene-shifter. That's why please let me stay with LME!"

She closed her eyes and then felt Sawara-san's hands on her upper arms. She opened her eyes to see him smiling, "That's it!" He told her, "Well said! Well firstly you will accomplish this job that you've been assigned properly. The main thing is you do it whole-heartedly, for you receive points -"

Sawara was cut off by Kimiko and she looked at her, the senior-level star almost barking at her.

"Hello, My luggage!" she demanded, "Bring it quickly or you'll get point deduction!"

Kyoko looked up at Ren and tried to avoid eye contact, she knew that the two of them didn't really know how to be with each other right now but she hoped that he wouldn't hurl any cruel words against her. They had a huge problem with his dislike of why she had auditioned so the fact that she had now been hired by the agency must have really pissed him off.

Ren looked at her sympathetically as he saw her struggle with the luggage. He wanted her to be happy and seeing her struggle was hurting him inside. Maybe he could make it up to her by helping her with the bags. It was too much to ask of a young girl, right? He wanted to apologize to her and so he reached out without thinking. He should be the adult in this situation, after all, he was acting childishly by lying to her.

"It seems heavy," he commented not wanting to cause her any harm or ill will, he just wanted to apologize to her for acting like a brat. "Should I take some?" he asked and Kyoko blinked up at him.

"Corn," she whispered with a smile as he grinned back. She knew he had pure intentions of helping her, she shouldn't have been so nervous around him.

 **End of Act Eleven**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 10**

Kaname671, Kris XD, MWEH, paulagato, puffinzero, Umiron

 **Author Response:**

Kyoko will eventually find out the truth about Corn/Kuon but right now I'm trying to get it set up still 😉 she has to join the LOVE ME section and get interested in acting. I'm not sure about more frequently, I mean I still have a life so I can only update once every other day and I thought that was a lot but maybe I misunderstood that comment. The moving out/not moving out conversation will take place next chapter 😊 Thank you for all of your support.


	13. Act 12 - Carrying a Suitcase

**AN:** Again, this is heavily lifted from the manga but I did change who said the second to last line from the manga so I think that helps set the scene for this new version. Hope you guys are enjoying it. I feel like half of next chapter is going to be original material so I'm excited to write that.

 **Act Twelve – Carrying a Suitcase**

Kyoko grinned happily as she walked together with Ren. It seemed that Corn was forgiving her for her actions and maybe things would turn out okay. She still knew and understood why he was upset and she was terrified that it had caused a complete lack of trust but this was the second chance that she wanted. Trust a fairy to be reasonable especially when it meant that someone could be happy. Kyoko shared a smile with him.

Ren watched her. Carrying the bag was a small thing to do but maybe it would open up conversation that would make things less awkward for both of them.

"Thank you, you didn't have to help me carry this," Kyoko said as she gazed into Ren's eyes and shared a smile with him. She was going to protect his secret no matter what. He had already done so much for her and this second chance was another way that he was showing his gratitude.

"It's normal in this situation, is it not, for a man." He grinned at her and Kyoko felt her heart pound in her chest.

"Well, yeah, men do that but don't fairies also do that?" she asked in a whisper that only the two of them could hear, Ren continued to smile back at her. Of course Ren was nice, he was Corn, he was incapable of being mean or cruel to her. Well, she had thought that until she had messed up and he hadn't spoken to her but he had seemed to recover from that. She wanted to do something to make it up for him, something outside of household chores.

"The president set up a new section," Ren told her and Kyoko tilted her head to the side, "The Love Me section," he grinned and Kyoko blinked. Ren smiled to her, hadn't anyone told her? Had she just run into Kimiko and started to carry her luggage for her? It wouldn't surprise him.

"The Rugby Section?" Kyoko blinked confused.

Ren looked ahead of him, he wanted to see her response but he didn't want her to feel that he was looking down on her. To be accepted into a new section that the president had created just for you was a huge offer and he wanted for Kyoko to acknowledge that fact. "No, Love Me," he repeated before slowing down his words, "Love Me Section."

Kyoko blinked. What the heck was that section about? Was it some kind of risqué model shoot or something, why was Ren telling her this? Had he decided to date a lingerie model?

"This section fulfills, like the name already says, tasks in order to be loved," Ren continued and Kyoko stared at him. It was such an odd name that she was trying not to laugh though her head was filled with crazy ideas about such a section. With a name like that, how could she not wonder what they did? "The one who joins the section must achieve everything whole heartedly so he can be loved."

Kyoko's eyes widened before she giggled. She couldn't help it, the section sounded ridiculous.

"It sounds funny," she giggled as she took a look at Ren's expression, he was actually taking this seriously. "What kind of people come there?"

Ren sighed, he tried to hold himself back from giving her any kind of expression on his face. After all, he didn't want to be seen as mocking her or fooling around with her. "Well, what you are doing now is the job of a Love-Me trainee."

What the hell was he talking about? Kyoko paused and took a look at him. She should be grateful about this, right? She should be able to deal with this idea but it was as if she couldn't. This was going to be her life. Well, she had wanted to enter the agency but not with the idea she was doing it for love. Ren was playing with her right? He knew that she was focused on revenge so the idea of telling her it was to be loved was a way of getting back at her for the emotions in her heart.

"The Love-Me Section is for material, people, which is a pity to just get rid of, but lacks of something. The boss founded it to teach the talents "missing things" and the one who was elected as the first trainee of the Love-Me section was you."

Ren paused as Kyoko took a few steps back, her eyes wide and her expression one of horror. He sighed. He felt that this was for her own good, that she shouldn't be toying around with her life because of reasons of revenge but she was staring at him as if he was taking revenge on her. Did she really think that he was such a cruel person? She dropped one of the bags and Ren let his eyes follow it to the ground. He heard the sound of it hit the ground and he was starting to get a little annoyed.

Love wasn't a bad thing at all. Wanting to do a good job and have your fans appreciate you for your work wasn't a torturous thing and if she really _was_ interested then she should know that acting and talent were more for just yourself, they were to share something with others.

Ren sighed before smiling in an empathetic way, "Oh, before I forget if you prove outstanding achievements in the Love-Me section the agency will produce you and provide you with a huge debut," he tried to explain and Kyoko twitched.

"Good achievements?" she asked him, "and how do I reach these?"

Ren closed his eyes before trying to give her another smile but somehow Kyoko could see it as a false smile, the type that a gentleman would use when trying to be respectful but not really wanting to smile out of happiness, "Like I said, you have to focus whole heartedly. Opposing the person who requires a task, you must behave in a way to please him. You must carry out the task with other people's feelings in the forefront then your opponent will have a positive impression of you and rate you with such a point stamp."

Ren fished out a stamp from his pocket before putting it down on his hand. He smiled as he showed her that it was a 100 point stamp and Kyoko had to admit that this Love Me section did sound like the work that she was already doing in exchange for living with Corn but in a completely different environment. "That's how it works," he told her and Kyoko smiled.

This was just like Corn's plan to give her room and board in exchange for taking care of things for him. She thought that this might be his way to teach her how to respect celebrities but to also give her a road for getting her revenge. Wait, why did Corn even want to give her an opportunity to take revenge?

She looked at him slowly, "So this means if I receive many of these point stamps, I can make a debut?"

Kyoko heard a scream and she looked up in panic. She saw Kimiko staring at her and then looking at the bag that had fallen onto the ground. Her eyes widened as she saw that it had spilled out and many of the items had hit the ground. God. She felt so selfish and she was worried about what this would mean for her.

"How dare you!?" Kimiko screamed at her, "Letting my precious things fall like that! What were you thinking letting Tsuruga-kun carry the suitcase? I can't believe it, you are impossible."

Ren paused, he looked at Kyoko and the guilt was seen in his eyes but he remained quiet for the first moment, wanting to see how she would react. He hadn't meant to get her into trouble but he had wanted to make up for the fight that they had had. Still, neither of them wanted people to know that they were living together and talking about an argument like that in public would be bad.

Ren took a step forward, ready to defend Kyoko but Kyoko stood in front of him before he could do anything. Kimiko was fuming and though Ren didn't mean any harm, Kyoko should have realized that she should have done this herself. When she was growing up, she hadn't wanted to bother anyone and it was only the fact that it was Corn that made her say she didn't need his help.

She wasn't going to let him apologize for her not thinking professionally. She didn't need for him to save her this time.

"Out of the question," Kimiko yelled before pressing a stamp to Kyoko's cheek. "You don't need to do anything for me anymore!" she continued to scream at Kyoko, "Tsuruga-kun, let's go."

Kyoko nervously put a hand to where the stamp was on her face and brought it down. It was a punishment stamp. She was already at a negative and she looked at Ren who was trying to decide whether to argue for her and defend her or not. She shook her head to him.

"It suits me right," she said before looking down. "I didn't take the responsibility of the task for myself. In such moments, I must decline," she said with her hand on her heart as if taking an oath. Ren had tilted his head just watching her but she knew he hadn't meant her any ill will, "politely but friendly like. I should see to not receiving any more punishment stamps in the future. I'll be sure to."

Ren laughed at her with an exhausted smile. She really was something special.

"I agree," he nodded, "You must fight with heart and soul not to get any more of those punishment stamps," he smiled before looking at her. He got a wet cloth out of his pocket and gently dabbed at her cheek until she was able to take it. He looked after where Kimiko had left and Kyoko knew that she would get blamed if he was delayed. "I'm sorry about what happened," he apologized. "I wasn't meaning to get you into trouble. I wanted to help because you seemed so weighed down, would you like me to talk to her, try to smooth this out."

"I don't need you doing that for me," Kyoko said and Ren blinked, taken aback a little. "I mean, I appreciate it but I want to do this for myself. Tsuruga-san," she said nervously and he hummed in response, "I think that I might move into another place. I was offered a room by my boss at the restaurant and I think it might be less of an inconvenience for you."

Ren blinked in shock before shaking his head slowly, "It's not an inconvenience for me," he told her and Kyoko smiled but bowed her head. She wondered if he was just making an attempt to have her feel better. "I like you living there. I'd like for you to stay."

Kyoko watched him before realizing that he was being honest with her. She smiled before pushing him gently in the direction that Kimiko had just left in. "Okay then, I'll stay," she said Ren looked to her. He put a hand to her cheek where the mark had nearly been cleaned off and rubbed his thumb against the remaining ink.

"Thank you," he told her and Kyoko nodded.

"Now go, even fairies must know that punctuality is important," she said and Ren turned back, opening his mouth a little to argue back but as he saw her happiness he knew he didn't want to destroy her dreams and tell her he was a fairy. Not yet at least.

 **End of Act 12**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **AN:** First of all, in terms of manga, I just finished Act 7 with this chapter so I wonder where I'll be with Act 24. Whenever the manga Act 23 is in the fanfic is when I'm planning on having Kyoko realize the truth about the fairy Corn.

 **Anyway, more importantly**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 11**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, Metalia-legwll, misherukuro, MWEH, PaulaGaTo, The Real Jackie-O

 **Author Response:**

Thanks for all your support. The real question of her moving out again will be brought up when she finds out that Ren has lied to her about being Corn the fairy. Of course there will be some misunderstandings. I hope changing who said the line helped convey my meaning whilst also seeming to blend with the original scene in the manga.


	14. Act 13 - Nothing Will Develop

**AN:** Hope you guys enjoy this chapter 😊 Once again I'm super sleepy so I hope it makes sense

 **Act 13 – Nothing Will Develop**

Ren had wanted to make up for his behavior so he had decided to treat Kyoko. He had seen something that reminded him of the girl from his childhood and he had also managed to get some hamburger steaks with egg on top. That was her favorite, right? Or maybe it used to be, maybe he was only remembering a child and she had changed. He put the wrapped box on the table and then waited for her to get in.

As she entered, she froze and blinked at him. She had a bag under her arm that looked as if it had something large in it. Was this the Love Me uniform that the president had been referring to? He was curious to see what it looked like. The president had wild fashion sense and he wanted to see if he had been rational, usually he wasn't.

"You're home," she grinned happily. Her eyes locked onto his and he gestured to the table.

"I uh…they're still warm," he told her and Kyoko tilted her head to the side. What was he talking about? She looked at the to-go box and sat down eagerly. She opened the box and grinned as she saw a hamburger steak in there with an egg on top of it. It _was_ still warm meaning that he must have gotten it just before she got back.

She looked at the box and put her fingers on it, "Is this for me?" she asked and he nodded. She shook her head, "Corn, you've already given me so much," she told him and Kuon grinned.

"I _want_ to give you that," he told her and Kyoko smiled nervously. She unwrapped the box before her eyes widened. It was a swan shaped perfume bottle. "They say that it's called Royal Snow," he told her as he tried to see her expression. Kyoko had tears in her eyes as she held it to her chest. She blinked back the tears and Kuon walked over to her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"How can you be so thoughtful?" she asked him and Kuon laughed.

"Hey," he winked, "I'm an extremely thoughtful guy," he said and Kyoko wrapped her arms around him. She pushed her head into his chest. "I want you to stay here, Kyoko. I know that I may have my faults but I like you being here. It's making me not feel alone anymore and that's a really important thing to me."

Kyoko looked at him before smiling through her tears. "Thank you, Corn," she told him and he sighed. He opened his mouth to argue with her, tell her that he wasn't a fairy but he didn't want to ruin this moment. He didn't know what her reaction would be if she found out how deceitful he had been.

"Let's eat, okay?" he asked and Kyoko nodded excitedly.

She was trying hard not to experience any loving emotions, she had tried to swear that off but Corn was amazing. He was sweet and kind and generous and despite all the pain that he must have inside of him, he had taken the time to make _her_ feel special. Maybe that was in a fairy's nature but somehow she had the feeling that Corn was more special than that. Sadly a relationship between a fairy and a human wouldn't work out and she should stop trying to see Corn as a human. If he ever got his wings back then they would have to be separated.

"Can I ask a question?" Ren asked as he sat down at the table and took his own hamburger steak. He took a knife and fork and had a bite of it. It was actually delicious despite it being warm and not hot anymore.

"Of course," Kyoko grinned and Ren looked at the bag.

"Is that the uniform?" he asked as Kyoko looked at him in horror. She twitched, not really knowing how to respond to that. Yes, it was the uniform but it was also an embarrassment. She was scared of him seeing it and telling her how ugly and unattractive she would appear in it. She had tried to think that that didn't matter but Corn's opinion really did matter to her.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, that's the uniform," she told him and Ren looked at the bag intrigued.

"May I see it?" he asked her and Kyoko's eyes widened. She hadn't wanted to show him but since they would both be at LME, he would see her in it anyway. She nodded before finishing her hamburger steak. Once she was done and the boxes had been cleared, she lifted the bag that held her uniform and put it on the table.

"You promise not to laugh, right?" she asked and Ren smiled at the tint of red on her face.

"I swear that I won't laugh," he told her and Kyoko nervously took it out of the bag. Ren's eyes widened, it really was a shocking pink and the emblems were something that only the president could think of. He opened his mouth to say something but then quickly closed it. "It's not…as bad as I imagined," he said slowly.

"You imagined worse than this?" Kyoko asked before shaking her head. She wondered _what_ he had thought of that could be more humiliating to wear than _this_.

"Try to think of the job as something beneficial to you and the uniform as just…training," he shrugged and Kyoko nodded. At least he wasn't making insults about how she would look in it. With Corn's support, Kyoko felt that she could do anything.

…

…

Okay. Maybe she could do anything but doing _anything_ was starting to make her feel that she was just being treated like a maid again. She had taken on a Love Me job because she had wanted to get more points so that she could make her debut and get her revenge on Shotaro but she hadn't expected to be stuck in the corridor trying to scrape gum off of the floor. Who could be so rude? It wasn't as if Corn went around the apartment sticking gum everywhere.

She growled as she attempted to get the dried up substance off of the floor. These artists must really be as immature as Shotaro to do something so "rebellious". Didn't they care about the work that other people had to go through trying to clean up after them? She sighed as she got a piece of it off and looked at the tiled floor.

Because of how long the gum had been there, the floor tiles looked different and she was worried about them being splotchy all over the floor. That wouldn't be attractive to look at and this was a high class, very elegant and highly regarded agency. How could such an unattractive floor really convey the type of place where Ren had chosen to work.

As she got the last piece of gum off of the floor she stared at the two-toned floor. What if some important visitor were to stop by and see this? What if they were to judge the whole agency based on _her_ work? Kyoko gulped as she looked around.

Just cleaning it wouldn't be enough, wax would be perfect though. That would make it glisten and then if someone important did come when she was finished with her work, they would see what an amazing job she had done. She closed her eyes as she imagined Ren's smiling face and then shook her head. She was trying to stay away from love. Picturing Corn wasn't going to help with that.

Making her way to the supply closet she managed to find the floor wax and a cloth. She would be able to make this floor shine and then she would be able to really get some points and make her debut. She felt great about this.

She would do a flawless job and then nobody would argue against her getting a 100 point stamp.

…

…

Yashiro looked at Ren as he handed him a glass of water at the modeling shoot they had gone to. He frowned as he saw Ren flicking through a magazine and he knew it wasn't to get inspiration on how to do a good job. He kept stopping on pictures of Fuwa Sho and reading the articles with a frown across his face. Yashiro had never seen him take this much interest in _any_ celebrity before and sadly enough it didn't seem for a good reason this time as well.

"Ren," Yashiro said as he sat down next to his client, "You'd inform me, right?" he asked and Ren blinked before looking at him surprised. "If you were to start a relationship with somebody."

"You think that I want to start a relationship with _him?_ " Ren asked surprised as he looked at the picture of Sho more closely. What had Kyoko seen in this guy? Why was he the prince that had tried to take away something precious in his life. He shook his head, the thought sickening him. "Don't worry, he's not my type," he tried to joke and Yashiro rolled his eyes.

"You should know that I'm not referring to him," Yashiro commented. "I mean with Kyoko. You seem to be getting more interested in her every day and it's not that it's wrong but I want to be able to represent you in the best light."

"Kyoko and I are just friends," Ren said with a small smile on his face and Yashiro raised an eyebrow.

"I bet that if you asked her out on a date then she would immediately say yes," he said and Ren hummed. "I can imagine it now, her wide eyes sparkling with joy, her hands clutched together and pressed against her chest, her voice a soft and gentle sound as she tells you how excited she is that you chose her. I mean, I would bet that that would happen."

"Too bad that we won't find out," Ren said as he finished the article. "As I stated before, I have no desire to ask Mogami-san out on a date. Besides, I think it's best for her to not put her life around a guy and I definitely don't want that guy to be me. She deserves a precious and beautiful life to treasure. I won't give that to her."

"Any woman would be lucky to date you, Ren" Yashiro said and Ren shrugged.

"I don't know how true that is," he said and stood as the director for the shoot called him over and he removed his shirt. Yashiro sighed. He could see that this man was headed into trouble. Ren must have been completely inexperienced with love in the past because anyone could see these feelings for Kyoko were developing and it was never good to fall in love with your roommate with the chance that she might not have the same emotions.

Yashiro picked up the magazine and looked to the article that Ren was reading. This was the man who had challenged Ren before and it appeared that it didn't end there. Would this turn out to be a rivalry? Well, the public might get interested in it but the last thing Yashiro wanted was for anybody to ruin Ren's well-crafted reputation.

Although, who was Ren anyway?

 **End of Act 13**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 12**

Guest (x2), H-Nala, Kaname671, KrisXD, misherukuro, MWEH, PaulaGaTo, The Real Jackie-O

 **Author Response:**

Thank you for all of the support. I also think that Kyoko will mature a little bit faster than she does in the manga but then she is in a completely different situation. Well, I want to follow the manga the whole way through so it'll take years 😉 Ren is definitely going to be in trouble when he confesses that he's not actually a fairy.


	15. Act 14 - Fairy Tales Aren't Realities

**AN:** I'm battling a cold right now so this had to come out a little later in the day today but I really hope that you enjoy it 😊

 **Act 14: Fairy Tales Aren't Realities**

"I'm sorry," Yashiro said as he came over to Ren who was looking out at where some birds were in their nest, the mother bird was just feeding them lunch and Ren loved observing these true beauties of nature. Birds could have some sort of freedom that he lacked. All a bird had to think about was whether they should try to fly or whether it was okay to fall. "It seems we won't be able to shoot today either"

"I figured," Ren commented before looking away. "I thought that this girl was better than this, from what I've heard from others she took pride in her music when she was a new star and now there's something that needs to be customized for her?" Ren sighed, "It really does make me feel sick."

"And I suppose you're not going to use such words for her when she does come," Yashiro said and Ren gave a gentleman's smile.

"Of course not," he replied and Yashiro raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment on it. Ren paused before sighing and dropping his head, "There is _something_ that I really do need to say to somebody though. I need to be honest and that might be a little harder than I thought that it would be. I don't want to break her heart."

"Kyoko's heart?" Yashiro asked and Ren nodded. "And this is a girl that you're definitely not interested in dating."

"I'm definitely not interested in dating her," Ren repeated as he took a sip from his water bottle. "We're just friends, I'm trying to make that clear to you. Kyoko and I are just friends."

"And there's something very close between, you know friends and friendlier," Yashiro teased him and Ren was about to respond before both of them had their attention drawn towards Seishi Shinkai, the director of the shoot.

"I am so sorry for this, Ren," he said and then nodded to Yashiro as he included him too. "Will you be ready for the president's secret plan that starts tomorrow. Apparently whatever she is customizing, whatever teenage girls need to customize, is going to be finished by that time. You know, it's professionals like you who give me hope for this business."

"And because you recognize that professionalism, I feel even more respect for you," Ren said with a smile and Seishi laughed before pushing his hair back. He was incredibly stressed by this idol and her appearance in this drama. This man had worked with divas before but this girl was more than that. They needed something to motivate her and it would take more than a carrot on a stick or even Ren to push her in the right direction.

…

…..

Kyoko was finishing with the final section of the floor when she heard a loud thump and then the sound of a coffee cup rolling across the floor. She turned to look behind her at where one of the office workers had fallen. She froze, before hearing a skid and a young woman banged onto the ground.

Something had happened, she had done something or there was something that had gone wrong. She tried to think over her actions. All she had done was to try to get the hallway clean and to have any honored guests applaud her hard work even if she wasn't there to see it. They should be giving her extra points now and with those extra points she could make a better debut than the one that Shotoro had had.

Kyoko tried to steady herself before seeing another man falling down and then it was as if circus music was playing in Kyoko's head as one after another more office workers came crashing down onto the floor. She could hear people talking about their injuries and that the hallway was cursed. She hadn't meant to cause anyone any harm. She had wanted to impress the head of the music section but she didn't want for people to get hurt.

She froze before hearing a disappointed hum behind her and nervously turned to see Nakazawa-san. The department head put two fingers on his temple and sighed heavily. Kyoko looked to him and saw him call to an intern.

"Can we get a wet floor sign put here," he asked and the intern quickly nodded and moved away.

Kyoko gave a weak and very apologetic smile to the department head and closed her eyes, dropping down into a bow. "I am deeply sorry," she said as he looked around at the mess that she had caused. He understood what the president had been saying, she was able to think of how to do things better but for a different motivation than that which would advance her in life.

Nakazawa sighed and, when there were more people to help the injured workers, ushered her into his office.

"Thanks to you doing things you shouldn't have, so many people got injured. You couldn't even think of this?" he asked looking at her and trying to control his frustration. He shook his head as he tried to maintain his temper. She was just a teenager and one whom the president was keeping an eye on. He didn't want to cause her to have too much heartbreak, he was part of the president's team after all, he believed in love through music.

He sighed as Kyoko kept her head bowed, "If you had put yourself in the shoes of those who will pass this hallway, this incident would never have happened." Nakazawa sighed as he took her stamp book from her and put a plus ten stamp in it. He sighed and handed it back to her, his voice heavy. "You, from the looks of it, still can't figure out the purpose of Love Me Section."

…..

…..

Kyoko sighed as she sat looking at her book on the staircase at LME. She didn't want to show this to Ren and disappoint him. If Corn had had to do this assignment it would be filled with 100 point stamps because fairies were very good people and of course, Corn would have done amazing work. No, this book was an embarrassment to Corn.

She sighed, she had put in all her hard work and it was just for ten points. She could have at least been given a little more. Ten points did feel rather stingy especially with the time she had wasted. Yes, people did get hurt but they should have been more careful. They should have been able to see her cleaning and taken another route. Yes, it was those other people who were in the wrong.

Kyoko sighed and dropped her head, "Ten points is still a bit too strict, plus the minus ten points Kamio-san gave earlier. After the deduction, it's equal to zero, making me feel like I've not started work at all." She sighed. That was great for a first day, no movement. She blinked. It could have been far worse than this. She hadn't gained many points but she wasn't in the negative any longer, she'd just have to keep working hard and continue to push and motivate herself.

She could do a job that wouldn't bring trouble to others and would still make people want to only use the highest point stamps. It was a second chance and she would take it. She was determined to go forth into the next day wor-

Someone kicked her. What the hell!? Kyoko turned around, who the heck would be kicking her!?

Kyoko turned back to see a young idol of around her own age. She was wearing a fashionable jacket, skirt, and leopard print shirt. Kyoko frowned she knew this woman from somewhere, one of the projects that Shotaro had worked on. She blinked before looking at her with a professional smile.

"You are Ruriko Matsunai-chan!" Kyoko said with her eyes wide.

Ruriko raised her head and looked down upon Kyoko with a feeling of superiority over her, "That's right," she told her, "I'm Ruriko Matsunai-chan," she grinned and closed her eyes, crossing her arms casually. "I am LME's Japan's Last Superstar Idol."

Kyoko looked at her curiously. That felt like a really strange thing to say. It was as if she were claiming that after her nobody would ever be skilled enough to take the name superstar. No. Even if she did die, there would have to be other actors who could take her place as Japan's national actress and Kyoo even felt that she could fill that spot one day. Oh, no. She didn't really care about acting though and she would never dare to say that to Corn.

"This is so similar to the president's method of doing things," Ruriko laughed as she cast her eyes down as if pitying Kyoko. "I'm referring to the establishment of Love Me section. You are the legendary Love Me Section member?" she giggled and Kyoko felt her body tense as she listened to those words.

"Good timing," Ruriko grinned, her eyes cold and staring into Kyoko's. "I can ask you to help me with something."

…

….

Kyoko had been briefed a little on what her assignment would be for the following day but she was more excited because she felt that Ruriko was a rich young lady in disguise, someone who would have a key to a secret garden in which they could play. Maybe Ruriko was actually a princess. She giggled to herself as she thought about that possibility and then heard the key in the lock.

She got up before going to the front door to welcome Corn in and to take his coat.

"I'm home," he grinned to her and Kyoko nodded.

"Welcome home," she said and Ren laughed as he looked around and saw another salad with flower petals on the table. He should really tell her the truth but he hoped that she wouldn't take it as him having bullied her.

"Did you have a good day?" he asked and Kyoko looked at the book that she had tried to hide from him. She didn't want to have him give that look of disappointment when he only found out she had barely made any progress with her stamps.

"I…I learned some more about the Love Me section," she told him and Kuon smiled, he was about to question that but caught himself at Kyoko's next words. "And I met a princess," she told him and Ren stared at her with wide eyes. What did she just say?

"You saw a princess?" he asked slowly. He wasn't sure whether to tell her the unlikeliness of her actually meeting a proper princess because she still believed that he was a fairy and he wanted to work on that angle a little more before he told her the truth about him being an American. "I don't think that's possible," he said slowly.

"Of course it's possible," Kyoko smiled, "I already know a prince."

"Yeah…" Ren said awkwardly, feeling guilty that he had been lying to her. He couldn't believe that she would just rashly decide to believe somebody else. He watched her as she grinned to him with childlike excitement. "Uh…are you sure?"

"Well, I'm not quite sure, she didn't tell me she was but the mission that she's asked me to do for her makes me believe that she's a princess in disguise who I must lay down my life to protect," Kyoko said and Ren's jaw dropped. Just what had this so-called princess talked her into? Was now the time to confess that he wasn't a fairy and that she shouldn't believe things written for children.

Maybe he could just try and find out what she had been talked into before telling her the truth.

 **End of Act 14**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 13**

H-Nala, Kaname671, kotoko-98, KrisXD, Musherukuro, MWEH, PaulaGaTo

 **Author Response:**

Kyoko may have fallen for him but he _has_ been lying to her so that's going to cause her to hesitate on her emotions. There are a lot of parts of the manga that I like that other people would think as minor so I'm glad I included one of your favorite parts. Thank you for all your support.


	16. Act 15 - Up The Hill

**AN:** Because this is mostly about Kyoko's interaction as a solo, it is very heavily copied but there are some differences here and there will definitely be some more in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy 😊

 **Act Fifteen:** Up The Hill

Corn had seemed a little distant before. He had seemed to be thinking about his own work and Kyoko was scared to talk to him about her new assignment especially since he didn't seem to really believe that she could have met another member of a royal family. So when he had left the next morning and had only left her with a note reminding her to be safe and have a good day, she figured she would fill him in on the details later on.

She had wanted to phone him, ask him what time he would be back but he had hinted that it might be an overnight affair. Kyoko paused. She wasn't doing a multiday trip, right? No. They wouldn't do that to her without telling her.

Kyoko took a look out the window as they started to drive over the bridge. She could hear Ruriko speaking.

"To be honest, I didn't even want to shoot a movie. Moreover, the shooting has to be done outdoors. If I'm exposed to the sun for prolonged periods, that simply is asking for my life." Ruriko sighed melodramatically and she chanced to look behind her at the singer. She was a well-known idol and had performed with Shotaro on a few occasions but Kyoko wasn't going to bring that up now.

She was dressed in black, all covered, and Kyoko wondered why she would be dressed that way when black got the hottest under the sun. She sighed before thinking about the words that Ruriko was telling her. Ruriko was a princess and so she must have been raised in a very isolated environment. Maybe she was from someplace where people would make sure that there was no dirt or dust and so the exposure to the outside world had hurt her. It was the king and queen who were responsible for bringing her up this way.

"It can't be Ruriko-chan, you are allergic to the sunlight?" Kyoko asked as she feared that this was asking too much of the princess. Ruriko knew of a way of life that Kyoko had only experienced in her dreams.

Kyoko paused and tilted her head to the side but Ruriko was completely asleep. It must be that she had some delicate nature because Kyoko wished that she could have fallen asleep that quickly at times. Ruriko-chan had to live a hard life which Corn probably had to endure as well but Corn's body had never been weak whereas Ruriko's did. That must be the difference between fairy princes and real life princesses or at least honored members of society. Ruriko did seem more of a high-class girl than an actual princess.

"Right," the manager said and Kyoko turned to look at her. She was a shy looking woman with large round glasses. She was one of those introverted stereotypes and Kyoko wondered why she wanted to work in show business since she seemed so anxious. No, making those types of claims weren't very loving of her and the president wouldn't have liked that. Kyoko nodded and listened to the manager again. "It's hard on her. Once she's exposed to sunlight, her body will feel very uncomfortable. She normally can't go out often, it's really hard."

Kyoko's eyes widened. So even if princess was seeming to be less and less of what Ruriko was, she did seem to be a high-society lady and that type of social princess. She was like those women who had the gorgeous looks but were always cursed by real life never to be completely safe within it. She was one of those good people whose purity and innocence were her best traits.

"Therefore, Mogami-san," the manager said as she turned to Kyoko again, "Ruriko-chan hopes that you can protect her, so that she can avoid the sun for as long as possible."

Kyoko nodded. She had always wanted to be cast in a fairytale and whereas the role of the princess already seemed to have been taken, she could do the role of a knight or a lady in waiting or something that showcased her protective talents. She wanted to see the beautiful life that Ruriko left and she wanted to please her.

"Please," Kyoko said passionately, "Please let me take on this job!"

Kyoko felt the drama in her body flare up but she wanted to be part of this fairytale if only so she could talk about it for the rest of her life. She was on a natural high when she heard something slam and the car seemed to move unnaturally until it stopped. Kyoko looked around trying to figure out what was happening and then it was announced to her.

The car had broken down.

…..

…..

Kyoko was a little excited about what she had heard before when they were at the base of their climb. This was a project that Corn was working on. She'd be able to watch Corn work. That had been her motivation to continue and it was good that it had come when it did. They were almost near the top of the climb and due to her maidenly weakness, Kyoko had offered to give Ruriko and her heavy black umbrella a ride to the top.

Kyoko froze. She felt her legs giving out on her but she didn't want to lose yet, she had to bring Ruriko to the top of the hill and then she would be able to perform across from Ren. Kyoko froze. What if Ruriko would want more than to act with Ren, would she want to manipulate him or worse, would she try to buy him. If she found out that he wasn't actually a human but a fairy, would she send out fairy hunters to go and catch them.

No. Ren was a successful actor, this was all about business.

Kyoko froze as her foot made contact with some slippery grass and she crashed, falling down onto her back in the middle of the road. She tried to get up but her body wouldn't let her. It was as if her foot was on fire, as if she had lived through a volcanic eruption or had a rabid dog try to tear her foot from her leg. She had to hold back her tears and do her job properly though.

Kyoko could hear Ruriko leaving, telling her that she'd ask for help at the shoot location but before Kyoko could truly be heard, she had left.

Kyoko froze, she looked ahead of her where it looked significantly cooler but as the sun came out and beat down on her worn out body, she felt that the elements were going to kill her. She didn't feel good enough to stand up especially with the pain in her foot but maybe she could crawl. Crawling wasn't going to look elegant but sometimes you have to pick survival over beauty no matter what that dumbass Shotaro might say.

The woods would give her some escape, less exposure to the sun. It was as if it was an oasis of trees where she could rest. She was always alone. Her mother had left her. Shotaro had used her. Only Corn had come back to see her and she was so grateful for him. He wouldn't cheat her or manipulate her and she wanted to protect him. What protection was she on the ground this time?

She tried to inch her way towards it before a rustle and the sound of leaves. She felt a hand on her shoulder and then the familiar shoe as she looked up at him. He really did look like a modern day god, like one of the younger ones in the pantheon.

"It seems that I've found you, Kyoko," he told her before looking her over very concerned. Something didn't seem normal here and he hadn't heard from her that she had been coming. She wasn't trying to trick him again was she?

"Lying over here," he hummed looking a little bit amused before squatting down in front of her. "Are you taking a break or can't you move?" Honestly, with the crazy things that Kyoko had done in the past, she could just by taking a break in a strange position but he doubted it. Still, to tell her she was hurt might sound like an accusation and he was attempting to use less critical tones when it came to her.

"Di-Did Ruriko-chan tell you and so you came here?" Kyoko asked and she saw Ren's confusion.

"I haven't spoken to Ruriko-san, has she arrived?" he asked her and Kyoko stared at him not really understanding what he was talking about. "Wait, is she the princess that you're talking about? I'm sorry, she's a trickster who thinks too much of herself. She's not a princess, not that I want to disappoint you," he said and Kyoko looked at him. She tried to get up but instead she just moved from side to side as if a turtle lying on its back.

Ren sighed and took a look at his phone, "She's made it to the site, that's what my manager is telling me but it doesn't look like you can get up," he told her and Kyoko nodded nervously. He wasn't going to tell her off was he? Ren got down next to her before taking her leg in his hand and Kyoko felt an unbearable pain throughout her entire body.

"Let me take a look," he said as he turned it and Kyoko was blaming herself for letting a fairy try to examine it. Corn wasn't intending to do her any harm but there must be a huge difference between the way that male fairies were and human women and he didn't have human medical knowledge. Fairies had to have good upper arm strength because they flew, they probably didn't use their feet because of their wings. Did Ren even feel things in his feet or were they just there for him to stand up on?

"She looks like she's in great pain," one of the crew members commented and Kyoko really felt that they were being idiotic. She would only squirm on the ground like this if it hurt her. She noticed that Corn was trying to hold her food more gently and he sighed.

"Of course it hurts, I think she fractured her bone. Let's bring her up first," Ren said as he lifted Kyoko up into his arms as if she was a little kid. Kyoko looked at him in shock before realizing that she wanted to remember how this felt. His arms were so strong and she wanted to bury her face into his chest. She wanted to be more than a friend to him but she had to respect the limits of fairy kind. "We can't do anything by staying here."

Kyoko looked up into his eyes and she pushed her head into his chest, he gently sniffed her forehead and she looked at him. Corn might not have ever felt love before and he wasn't projecting it right. That was the way that princes looked at princesses, Corn must not be used to concern for his friends…that sounded tragic. She needed to try to keep a good relationship with him despite not feeling the agony from her food too much.

"Bear with this for a while," he told her and Kyoko wasn't sure how to react.

This felt amazing to her, to be given such treatment by Corn but Ren hadn't wanted to go public with the fact that she was his childhood friend. This wasn't going by the professional limits and borders that they had talked about? How was she going to react to him when they got to the location.

 **End of Act 15**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you reviewers of Act Fourteen**

Dreamerkins, Guest, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, MWEH, Paulagato

 **Author Response**

Kyoko is definitely going to be inspired by Ren and the acting and it's going to lead it in a different path. I am going to include the training school later but not in order so I'm skipping the part with the switched lines _for now_. I agree that they should have given her more instruction on what to do with the corridor but I felt they were telling her to ask and not do things on her own (get wet floor signs for instance) which leaves them open to lawsuits. I might have accidentally given Ruriko the wrong title because I've been sick/working/studying. I've read the manga a lot of times and have a lot of fanfics on here so when it's an error like that it's because I'm exhausted and kind of pushing the chapter out rather than that I actually didn't know that.

As for the question about Bo

I said in an earlier chapter that the issue of Corn not really being a fairy comes up in the equivalent to Act 21. Bo and Ren meet in the manga in Act 21. **SPOILER FOR FANFIC** Ren is going to tell _Bo_ that he is not a fairy.


	17. Act 16 - The Princess and the Prince

**AN:** Yesterday I didn't update because I've been ill for a week with the flu and I just didn't feel up to writing this one but I felt like it this morning. Depending on my workload I'll either write the next chapter tomorrow or Sunday. I would say that this chapter is about 50% from the manga but 50% edited because of the new relationships. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

 **Dear Guest:** If I make a mistake, it's totally accidental and I already said I was sick. I have _changed_ the error so thanks for pointing it out to me like I'm an idiot. Great. Maybe I shouldn't write any more fanfics because I'm such an idiot.

 **Act Sixteen – The Princess and the Prince**

Kyoko felt her heart beat in her chest, the feeling of being in his arms made her feel amazing as if she were one of her prized fairytale princesses. Then it dawned on her. Corn, he wasn't being very realistic in what he was doing. They were supposed to act as acquaintances and as far as Kyoko knew, acquaintances didn't scoop you up and carry you off into the sunset. "I should," she whispered into his chest, "I should get down. You should put me down."

Ren blinked at her, "Aren't you hurt?" he asked before his smile made her blush. "I don't mind carrying someone who is hurt. I don't think that anyone else minds me taking care of an injured woman."

Kyoko paused and shook her head. "It's not that I'm an injured woman," she told him, "but you wanted to keep our friendship a secret," she said and he frowned, raising his head so they weren't making eye contact anymore. He sighed. He knew that she was right despite his want to hold her.

"I really am fine," Kyoko pouted, "You should put me down," she said and Ren sighed.

"You can only move at the speed of a turtle," he told her, "of course I'm worried about you."

"I just don't want you to feel like our plan got messed up," Kyoko said and Ren saw how serious he was. He found the entry steps to the location and placed her down gently, being mindful of her foot. He looked at her like a lost puppy who had just been told off for doing something naughty.

"Well, since you're so determined," he said, "I'll drop you off here but," he came closer so that he could whisper to her, "If you do need me for anything then please ask for me. You're my friend and I care about you," he said before walking off. Kyoko blinked as she couldn't get that disappointed puppy look off of her mind. As she saw his back though, he looked frustrated. He wasn't angry with her, right? This had started off as _his_ plan, _his_ set of rules.

Kyoko dropped her head. There would have been some misunderstandings if more people had seen Corn holding her or if some photographs had been taken. It was best this way. Kyoko attempted to get her mind to a peaceful place but then felt a strange zapping around her as if there was something ominous. This place wasn't haunted, was it?

She turned from side to side but there was nobody there. It felt so hateful and she worried that there would be some phantom that would haunt Corn. Wait, was there a secret war going on between the fairy world and the ghost world? She worried about Corn. Did he know about the ghosts? They might attack him whilst he was playing the part of Ren Tsuruga. Did they have a grudge against her now that she had proven she sided with the fairies. If only she had something to protect both her and Corn from the curse, a talisman maybe.

…

…

As Kyoko sat down, she saw Ren's manager, Yashiro, come over. She wanted to make a good impression on him because she wasn't sure whether he liked her or not. He pulled out some bandages and Kyoko blinked but then nodded her head. Had Corn sent him over to help her in his place? She blushed as she imagined Ren coming close and bandaging her foot. She shook her head. Love was a foolish emotion and love with a fairy prince would only end badly for her.

"May I help?" Yashiro asked and Kyoko looked at him before nodding.

"If that isn't too much trouble," she said and Yashiro unrolled the bandage and very gently touched her foot. Kyoko turned her head to the side. He seemed to be quite skilled. As he bandaged her foot up he coughed and looked down at his work.

"All right," he told her, "This most probably should be okay," he informed her and Kyoko nodded. She was glad for any help. She knew that she should probably see a doctor or something but she wanted to protect Ruriko and more than anything, she wanted to witness Ren acting in person.

"Thank you," she said nervously, "Yashiro-san?" she asked and he nodded, "You knew how to bandage my foot?"

"Of course," he told her and Kyoko smiled at him, "I have to know basic medical and CPR skills to be a manager. If something were to happen to Ren on set then I'm responsible for him," he turned to her. "You're pretty close to Ren aren't you?"

"Yeah," Kyoko said before looking ahead of her, "I don't want to cause him trouble though. I feel that I've done that a lot since we met with each other again. Ren is friendly towards others but I worry that there are people that might take advantage of him," she said and Yashiro looked confused. "Ren is friendly towards anyone even if he might not trust them. That friendliness, I've found, can lead to your downfall."

Yashiro chuckled, "I don't think that's the case. Ren is able to take care of himself," he told her and Kyoko looked at him. She nodded. Yashiro didn't know that Ren was actually a fairy prince so of course he'd treat him like a human. She knew differently though because she knew Corn's very treasured secret.

"Plus," Yashiro continued, "I can say as long as it's work related, Ren would become very strict and not tolerate any mistake. Whether they are of himself or of others, his expectations are the same." Kyoko nodded. That sounded like Corn exactly and she was happy that his manager at least knew that part of him. She knew that he didn't like her acting out of revenge but he was willing to give her a chance. She just didn't want him to feel that she was acting disrespectful of him.

Yashiro looked at her ankle again, "You better go to the hospital for a checkup," he informed her and Kyoko bowed her head. She didn't want to go. She knew that usually people did go but she wanted to see Kuon perform, she wanted to protect Ruriko. Both of those things wouldn't be accomplished if she just stayed here. She nervously looked away from him. "This is just a temporary bandage," Yashiro continued. "I feel it's better you go to a doctor for a checkup."

Kyoko bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to go. She could take care of herself, right? Besides wouldn't Corn get frustrated with her if she took her work lightly. No. She would have to battle through this. "No," she said as she looked the way she had come. "You said hospital, it might take more than an hour going back and forth…by car." She saw him nod and dropped her head. "Forget it. Luckily you used bandages to help secure my injury first, it doesn't hurt as much now. Moreover, I still have a mission that is unaccomplished and there's something else I really have to see for myself."

Yashiro blinked as Kyoko looked out into the distance as if she could see a literal ray of light. His expression softened. She was a pure hearted girl who would most likely bring Ren a lot of happiness. Despite his better judgment, Yashiro nodded agreeing to not push her to leave.

…..

…..

Ren tried to keep his mind on his work, trying to do what he and Kyoko had originally planned. It was getting harder though. Despite how guilty he felt about constantly misleading her, he was enjoying having her around him. Maybe if he told her the truth before it was too late, she wouldn't end up hating him. He just had to play his cards right.

"Wait, the button at the cuff came off," one of the people from the costume department said and he lifted his wrist in order to help her. He had to keep his face at a neutral so people wouldn't know that he was focusing on whether Kyoko was okay or not. As cute as she had been trying to get up like a turtle, he should never take pleasure in her pain. He also knew that she wouldn't forgive herself if he missed work to take her to the hospital despite that being what he wanted to do.

He could hear Ruriko moving behind him, grumbling to himself. Usually he would pay someone who did that attention, probably reinforcing bad behavior but he blamed Ruriko for Kyoko getting hurt. If Kyoko hadn't suggested that they act like acquaintances he most likely would be trying to get the truth from her about the injury. Was it foolish that Kyoko's ankle was making it hard for him to concentrate on his own work?

Ruriko came near him and Ren knew that he couldn't ignore her any further. He turned to her with a gentleman's smile, hoping that his frustration wouldn't show. "Ah, it's Ruriko-chan," he said hoping to act with a happy tone. "You're finally here." He saw her blush and his mind flashed to Kyoko for a moment, he couldn't call her out on that but he could call her out on something else. "I'm getting impatient waiting for you."

He saw her face turn into one that showed disgust as she quickly turned away from him. He frowned at her. She was too much like a diva and as she turned, he readjusted his expression to that smile again.

As she left this time, the director approached Ren.

"She does not seem pleased with your attitude," Seiji told him and Ren counted his inhale in his head before counting his exhale. "It was initially set up as your fervent wish to co-star with her in the movie. Just say something she likes to hear, and that will settle it. It has only just begun."

Ren sighed, he looked away. How could he tell the director that his feelings for Kyoko were making this complicated. He wanted to protect her from girls who would use her and she was placing herself in situations that wouldn't turn out well for her. "Doing it this way," Ren said bitterly, "she won't be dragged in and she will know the true meaning of where the difficulty lies in."

Seiji sighed, "That is also right," he agreed. "She has to be forced to be aware of a crisis. If you must blame someone, it is President Takarada."

Ren nodded, "Right," he said as he tried to get into a professional mindset once again. "If this movie shooting does not wrap, he should indeed be hated."

…

…

Kyoko looked up from where she had been thinking about Corn and how she needed to watch more of the work he had done when he had been Ren when her attention was stolen by Ruriko coming out, dressed in a kimono. She could still accomplish her job at looking after her. She hobbled along using the crutch that she had been lent and called her name with a smile on her face. "Ruriko-chaaan!" she called like a schoolgirl waiting for her friend. "Good," she sighed in relief, "The movie hasn't started yet."

Kyoko felt her body turn cold as Ruriko glared at her. There was such hatred in that glare and Kyoko didn't understand what was going on. She could feel an aura of hatred from Ruriko and she didn't understand what had happened. This was like the ghostly feel she had had earlier. Wait, did Ruriko want to take advantage of Corn? Was she from a long line of fairy slayers?

No, she was over thinking things. Ruriko might have just heard something from the cast or she might be annoyed because of the sunlight. She didn't think Ruriko even knew about the fairy kingdom. She tried to laugh it off but the glare deepened.

What was happening here?

 **End of Act 16**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers or Act 15**

Dreamerkins, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, misherukuro, MWEH, PaulaGaTo, The Real Jackie-O,

 **Author Response**

Kyoko will have quite a mixed reaction when she finds out that Corn isn't a fairy and she'll develop some mistrust in him. I'm glad that people aren't too annoyed that I'm copying the manga, I rarely do it and sometimes I dislike when people do it so I'm scared to do it so closely. Since it's something that I've never really done before, I find it challenging in some ways to make it a bit different. Thanks again for all the support.


	18. Act 17 - Real Face of Ruriko

**AN:** I kind of didn't want to write yesterday because I don't like when people point out my faults and that's all they review with. I mean, I sometimes make errors, I'm busy. I also find it stupid how some people can think of themselves as better than others when reading a fanfic and yet can't actually write one for themselves. Sorry, I just needed to vent.

 **Act 17 – Real Face of Ruriko**

Kyoko froze. This hateful feeling must be in her imagination, after all, Ruriko was a princess and she had done her best to help Ruriko. Feelings of dislike wouldn't have any legitimate cause. Yes, she was imagining it because of the ghosts nearby.

"How can it be?" she laughed, kicking herself mentally for her distrust of the other girl. "Impossible, definitely impossible that it's Ruriko-chan. Firstly, I have not done anything for Ruriko-chan to dislike me," she continued to laugh. She wanted to brush it off as if it had been nothing.

However Ruriko gave her a look of disgust, "I, from the time Love-Me was established, I really hated this section."

The look on Ruriko's face made Kyoko take a step backwards in shock. What was going on? Had she just missed something big?

"Just the reason for the setup of Loive-Me makes me unable to forgive the existence of this section from the bottom of my heart. What as long as you're loved by others, you debut! Stop kidding! Only those with talent are capable of surviving in the showbiz! Only knowing how to clean and yet thinking of standing in the spotlight. Stop dreaming! If you have time to flatter and sweet-talk your way through jobs, it is better that you practice and work on your skills."

Kyoko stared at Ruriko in complete shock. The girl was showing the same feelings that Corn had however Corn had never yelled at her like this. Ruriko was really upset about her using LME for her own benefit but she would have no idea what that was about. Besides, wasn't Ruriko supposed to be a princess, she was acting like a spoiled brat. Okay, so she was a singing idol and loved by thousands of people but that didn't excuse her rude behavior. Kyoko blinked again, trying to stop her head spinning with the fact that she had been so wrong about a person.

Plus, who did Ruriko think that she was. She wasn't a manipulative person who would do anything for a job. She hadn't done that for Shotaro and she hated that she had been seen in this type of light. "I…" she said weakly, "don't flatter or sweet-talk."

"Liar," Ruriko said with a cold look on her face. "If not for the points, you would not have agreed to piggyback me uphill and endured those hardships. However, I will definitely not give you good points," Ruriko said as Kyoko stared straight ahead.

Was it logical to say that she wanted to protect Ruriko because she had seemed like a princess or at least like one of those rich girls who hadn't had a chance in life. She had wanted to help her, be aid to the princess but it seemed that she had been fooled herself. Now she was really nervous of how Corn would view her.

Ruriko continued, "I will definitely not give you good points," she continued, "because at the beginning I made up my mind to destroy you." With Ruriko saying that, Kyoko felt cold shivers down her spine. "That's right, you will just continue to stay as my helper! By that time, I will make you completely give up on entering showbiz."

Kyoko froze and bowed her head, feeling the anger rush through her body. She shook her head, she had to keep doing this job even if she wanted to throw some punches. If she hurt Ruriko, she would never be allowed to enter showbiz and more than that, Corn might start to see her in a different light and he might start to hate her. She didn't want to lose his trust.

"Ruriko-chan," Kyoko forced herself to smile. She had her own thoughts about how this should go but she couldn't do anything that would cause a scene here because not only she and Ruriko would be troubled but Ren and the director as well. She closed her eyes, "What are you doing here?" she asked and Ruriko growled at her, giving Kyoko an angry but ugly expression.

"I'm complaining about the parts of you that are dislikeable? Did you hit your head?" she asked in disbelief and Kyoko continued to smile.

"Movie shoot?" she asked and Ruriko looked away angrily.

"How would I know?" she asked before shrugging carelessly, "It should not have started because there are a lot of scenes that need me. Right now they are most likely searching for me," she said proudly. Kyoko hated this type of brattish behavior, this was how Shotaro would act and she was upset that it had taken her such a long time to see through those stupid rose colored glasses. No. This was how normal people acted.

Kyoko looked towards Yashiro and they shared a nod before picking Ruriko up and moving her to where they were filming. Their arrival due the attention of many people on the staff but of course it would, these people had been waiting a very long time for the idol.

Yashiro looked at Seiji as the director seemed to barely register what was going on, not out of shock but out of boredom. He had wanted for her to change her attitude but it seemed that she still would need a lot of work to be pushed to do that. "Sorry to keep you waiting," Yashiro said, "Ruriko-chan is back."

Seiji shrugged as he sat with Ren, neither of them bothering to look up at her. He sighed, "Is that so?" he asked as if he didn't care less whether she was back or not. "You are back?" he said as Ruriko realized that she hadn't been locked for, in fact neither the director nor Ren seemed to give a damn about her. This wasn't the reaction that she had wanted.

Seiji shrugged, "Ah, thank you," he said with a false smile, "Thank you for bringing her back." He turned to Kyoko, "In fact. I was worried that if she did not return, I would not know what to do," he laughed gently and Kyoko looked at him. He was incredibly calm and she wondered if she should be offended by this.

As she spoke with the director, Kyoko looked up and froze as she saw Ren looking at her longingly. He kept his mouth closed though and tried to look away from her. He knew that she was right in them limiting their contact but he wanted to speak with her and act naturally. Still, he should get used to the ground rules they had set up. As much as he wanted to act in friendship, he knew that that wouldn't be the best move for either of them especially on a set like this.

"You didn't go to the hospital," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought that work was important, I've heard that you consider work important," she said back trying not to make eye contact with him. She knew that he was worried about her but she wanted to see him act. Corn had come from the fairy world in order to act. She wasn't going to just go to the hospital and miss his magic again. She had waited too many years for that. "And don't worry," she said with a gentle smile, "I can still walk as long as I don't use my left leg."

Ren nodded. The next event though was something that neither of them had expected as Ruriko shoved her over. Ren's face turned into one of shock as he tried to catch Kyoko before she fell down. He though only Yashiro knew of Kyoko's importance to him but regardless, he wasn't going to let her get hurt.

As she fell, Kyoko heard Ruriko scream loudly, "So disgusting! You get disliked wherever you go!"

Ren had to control himself enough that he didn't look at her because he knew that his fact would betray him and it would show that he was angry with her and once that fact was established they would realize that the reason as to why he was so angry were his feelings of affection to Kyoko and they had both decided that that wasn't best. Still, Ren gently put a hand on her back as she cringed due to the pain.

"Kyoko?" he asked as his deep concern could be heard through his voice. "Kyoko, are you all right?" he asked her.

Ren had to keep control over his expression as Ruriko continued to shout at her. "In fact, tripping over while going uphill must also be another one of your plots! You must have a liking towards Tsuruga-san!" she yelled and Kyoko felt Ren tense. No! This definitely wasn't good for his career to be said that they were dating and as much as it pained her to do so, Kyoko had to deflect these accusations.

"Are you talking about yourself?" she asked with a firm look, "You are obviously the one whom after hearing that Tsuruga-san is waiting for you now, suddenly changed her mind and was ecstatic on doing the shoot!" Kyoko told her though inside she wanted to keep Corn safe and away from this woman. Corn wouldn't want to be with her just because of her attraction to him, right? Even though he was a fairy and didn't know the rules of human courtship, he would know enough not to be with Ruriko, right?

"Ruriko-chan," the director said in a very serious manner, "You went too far, quickly apologize," he told her and Ruriko took a step backwards in shock. They were siding with her, with this lowly fly. She blinked before looking at Ren's face which seemed to be issuing a challenge telling her to stay away from his girl. Wait, were they dating? No. Ren Tsuruga wouldn't get into a relationship with this type of girl but that's what his facial expression said.

Ruriko shook, her eyes wide. She hated this situation and Ren realized that there might be too much severity in his facial expression. This wasn't the way that one would act with an acquaintance. He sighed and looked down, pushing a hand through his hair. He just wished that he and Kyoko were able to be on the same level without people judging them.

Ruriko span, everyone was treating her as if she were the villain in this. She quickly stormed off and Kyoko felt the lack of hate as she left. She looked towards Ren who was acting as if he didn't know what to do in this situation. As the director turned his attention to where Ruriko had left, she looked at him and saw the fear in his face. "It's okay," she smiled to him, "Tsuruga-san, I'm all right. It's okay," she said and Ren nodded. Why he looked so pale concerned Kyoko. Surely he had been witness to fights between human females before. Was he upset about the pettiness of people?

Kyoko closed her eyes. Ruriko wasn't a princess, she was a tyrannical queen who only wanted things done her way. Once again, Kyoko had been misled. Fairy tales didn't really happen and the only fairy prince that she knew seemed to be falling into a pit of despair. She saw him stand up and wondered whether he would be okay.

It was almost time for the first scene they were shooting that day. She knew that Ren wasn't in it but she'd get to see his acting later on. She was shaken up inside. She had imagined so many beautiful things that had turned out to be so ugly. Corn wasn't this way though. He was kind and gentle and he was a fairy prince. He wouldn't let her down in the same way that so many people had.

 **End of Act 17**

 **Thank you for reading, (nice) reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 16**

Kaname671, Kris XD, misherukuro, PaulaGaTo

 **Author Response**

I'm really glad that people are okay with it following the manga but with a major plot difference because that's really the point of this fic. I agree, Kyoko's mind is really amusing. Thanks for all the support


	19. Act 18 - A Devious Plan

**AN:** Hope you enjoy. I've been having a little bit of writers fatigue that I'm hoping will pass. I hope you enjoyed this chapter though 😊

 **Act Eighteen – A Devious Plan**

Kyoko sighed as she waited to watch the scene. The ache of her foot was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. She had wanted to do the best job possible and she had felt that she had a pure hearted emotion when she had wanted it but it had crumbled to nothing. Part of her was wondering why she was even here but just looking at him made it seem so right. She wanted to see Corn act, she wanted to see the magic again.

Just as she was thinking that, she felt a presence behind her and attempted to hide the smile at seeing Ren there with a chair so that she could sit down. She looked around. His career might get ruined if people started believing for them to be a couple. Maybe they would even be able to tell the truth about Ren. No, it was better if she kept his secret.

"Mogami-san?" he asked with a tilt of his head and Kyoko tried to avoid looking at him, concentrating on the scene in front of them. "Would you like to have a seat?" he asked her and Kyoko looked at him for a split second. Usually she would thank him for his kindness but this meant that she had to have a lot of strategy. She didn't want to cause him any pain.

"No thanks," Kyoko replied as she ignored the concern in his eyes. "You shouldn't be so openly considerate towards me," she said and Ren looked at her with a frown. She looked down and closed her eyes. "You should be thinking about yourself, if people started to think that fairies aren't real."

"Fairies aren't real," Ren stated but Kyoko didn't even pause.

"I mean, yes, I know that's what you're supposed to think when you're Ren," she said as she brushed off his statement. "I just don't want for people to suspect that there is something off between the two of us," she continued and Ren sighed, shaking his head.

"I don't think anyone would be suspicious," he told her and Kyoko paused, "Most people tend to be considerate to those who are injured, right?"

Kyoko froze. She looked at him wanting to accept his offer but she shook her head. There were other factors at play here and it was a little annoying that Ren wasn't speaking about _those_ things.

"If Ruriko-chan sees you standing beside me, she'll most probably be upset. I don't want this kind of trouble and besides, the one to be hated will be me. For your own good, you should stay away from me," Kyoko said bluntly and Ren closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in. "I don't want people to misunderstand our living situation."

Ren shrugged before looking at her in a mature manner, "Mogami-san, I…I can't begin to tell you ho sorry I am, I've bee-"

"Seriously!?" Ruriko screamed loudly, catching Kyoko's attention. "Again!? I just need to walk out! How many times do you want me to walk out again?" Ruriko complained.

Ren bowed his head and sighed. He knew as she stepped forwards that she wouldn't be able to hear him. "I've been lying to you," he said in a soft whisper. He hated himself for not having the courage to talk to her directly. Maybe if he actually told her the truth – well not the whole truth of course – then she would find it in her heart to forgive him and to try to understand his situation.

Seiji leaned back in his chair, giving her a long blink and staring at Ruriko as if she were an inconvenience. "You walk until I think it is okay," he told her and Ruriko looked at him in disbelief. Seiji sighed, "I told you before. You're acting the part of a young lady of a rich family, your every move must portray that of a rich young lady's conduct." He told her and Kyoko sighed as she watched the two of them argue. This was what happened on a set? Did Ren get told that he wasn't doing things properly as well? There must have been such a learning curve for him since he came from the fairy world.

Ren continued to look to Kyoko, wishing that she would at least sit down if she wouldn't let him accompany her to the hospital. He didn't know how to get it through to her that her health and happiness was much more important than people getting the wrong impression of her. That being said, he did understand her emotions. He didn't agree with them but he did understand them.

"Start over again," Seiji told Ruriko as Ren sighed, trying to look away from Kyoko. "Stand with you back straight up, tuck in your chin slightly. The alignment of the body must be centered from head to toe."

Kyoko remembered her past when she would often have to behave in this way to please the guests at the Fuwa ryokan. In the world that Shotaro had grown up in, there were many rules that had to be followed which others wouldn't have considered. This was something that she knew how to do. She knew how to access her inner peace and stand in front of the customer.

In fact, doing this might help distract her from the man that was making her heart beat faster just by standing beside her. She saw Ruriko flip out and start screaming again but all that she could do was try to keep her attention off of Corn because she didn't want to betray the desire to not have love as a major part of her life. Corn was just far too easy to fall in love with.

There was silence and Kyoko blinked back in as Ruriko's words played themselves on repeat in her head.

"Since you want an amateur to act," Ruriko said proudly as she seemed to look down on everyone around her and Kyoko turned to the cast and crew. She was even positioning herself above Ren. That was something that she hated seeing. Corn had given up so much to be able to be here on Earth. Ruriko continued, "Even if it not me, it does not matter. Why not ask her to act? To earn points that woman will be willing to do anything!"

Kyoko took a glance at Ren who was concentrating fully on Ruriko and her challenge. She saw the discomfort and unease in his body language and wished that she could do something to help him feel better. This woman was spoiling things for him and Corn deserved to be happy. Kyoko felt a buzz in her head as her body seemed to move on its own and she stepped out trying to cut an invisible power that linked Ruriko and Ren to one another.

This was the power that Ruriko was keeping with her arrogance. She was putting herself above a fairy prince which was wrong for her to do. Kyoko looked around at everyone's shocked faces despite the fact that she hadn't even brushed against Ruriko. She wouldn't do that. As loathsome and deceitful as somebody was, she couldn't do that.

"What you said," Kyoko told her in a dark voice, "is right." She took a step forward, looking at Ruriko in the same way that Ruriko looked towards everyone including her precious friend. "For this small matter, I will be able to act well. This invitation into showbiz, since it is rare that you give me a chance to debut, I gladly accept."

As Kyoko gazed at Ruriko a smug look appeared over her face and she started feeling her little grudges swirling around her. If she pushed her away then Ruriko wouldn't be able to get next to Corn and Kyoko could get her revenge whilst also doing a favor for her friend. She looked at Ren who seemed surprised. Well, she could prove to him where her determination came from. She wasn't going to let him down.

…

…

Ren sighed as he looked at the director. He wasn't sure whether he should try to help Kyoko or not. Telling the director that Kyoko was his friend didn't seem too bad but then Seiji was just one person. He could keep this a secret. Ren shook his head and pushed his hair back. He was uneasy about her being played around with but maybe she could be nudged into finding out what she wanted to do. It was like a big brother to want to take care of her, right? This was only brotherly love that he was feeling.

As Ren approached Shinkai, he noticed that he was watching Ruriko. Since Kyoko had now been dragged in, this felt much less like a game to him. "Director," he said in a balanced manner, "Are you serious about this?" he asked, trying to hide the fact that he was mainly asking because of his concern for Kyoko. "Are you really going to allow Ruriko and….Ky—that girl…compete and then use the one who is more suitable?" he asked.

Seiji answered without hesitation, "I am being serious," he told him and Ren blinked. Really? Was he going to actually give Kyoko a chance? How was Ren supposed to act if this was actually going to happen? His friend was going to be given a chance to enter showbusiness but her heart wasn't pure but neither was Ruriko's, but Ruriko was a singer and an idol who had already been said to have the part. This might cause some backlash by Ruriko's fans onto Kyoko.

Ren frowned, "You said it so frankly, and you acted on your own," he worried. He didn't want anyone to hear him say that this might not be a good idea and that Kyoko shouldn't be used in any games, he wasn't confident that he could say that without anyone being suspicious of how he felt towards her. He sat down beside the director. "During the production press conference, it was widely publicized that _Ruriko_ will play the lead."

Seiji shrugged, "True," he nodded before laughing and Ren felt a little more disturbed by that. "Don't worry, it is possible for the director and actor to have a disagreement and that the actors withdraw hallway into the filming so everyone is prepared for this. Don't take it to heart," he laughed and Ren felt uncomfortable by the way he was treating this. This was about Kyoko's future and it was his brotherly instinct that made it so Kuon placed a lot of importance in how she was feeling.

Ren sighed, he had to get his mind refocused. He needed to not give people the idea that Kyoko was his…he couldn't really have her or be with her anyway. "Then," he said with a tilt of his head, "the matter that the president asked of us. What should be done? The president, didn't he…didn't he want us to help change Ruriko's willful, selfish, and unreasonable personality?" he asked and Seiji shrugged causing Ren to feel a little nervous about this.

"Because she caused me to stop the filming, if she continues to be the female lead actress, I will not be able to achieve the feeling that I want from this filming," Seiji said as he looked into the distance, the boredom on his face and Ren felt himself sweat. He had no right to tell Seiji-san to leave Kyoko alone. He wasn't her boyfriend or her actual brother.

"Then why Mogami-san?" he asked and Seiji shrugged.

"She was there," he said and Ren felt his stomach was unsettled because of that statement.

 **End of Act Eighteen**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act Seventeen**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, ktoll9, misherukuro, MWEH, PaulaGaTo, puffinzero, The Real Jackie-O

 **Author Response**

I feel like sometimes I'm fatigued by this story but the reviews really help. I find this work a lot harder than some others because I'm copying the original story but people tend to like it better than my original stuff, lol. Thanks again for all of the support 😊


	20. Act 19 - She Looks Like A Princess

**AN:** I've had a bunch of stuff happen since the last update. I've had a meeting with my psych, part of my wisdom tooth broke off, I've had two work shifts, lack of sleep, and some other things have been happening so I just decided to skip an update. I had an argument with a coworker who was trying to be my boss but he might have told about some things that happened in the past (me being uncomfortable and paranoid) so I'm wondering if I'll be talked to today and that makes me paranoid about losing my job (which I 98% don't believe is going to happen). Anyway, that's why I didn't update so please cross your fingers that things turn out okay and thanks for your patience.

 **Act 19: She Looks Like a Princess**

Kyoko grinned eagerly as she walked down the hallway of where the shoot was being held. This was a time when she felt that she would transform into a beautiful princess. She not only was going to be in professional makeup as if she were an actress but she might have a chance to act opposite Corn and she was thrilled to be doing anything with her close friend.

"That is great!" Kyoko turned to one of the ladies from the costume department, "If this time you really can grab the opportunity you will become a true Cinderella."

Kyoko stopped as that name repeated in her head, each time echoing her heartbeat. Cinderella. Cinderella. _Cinderella_. This was something that she had always wanted to happen. She had wanted to be one of the princesses from her books and though Cinderella had to marry a prince to become a princess, she was a hard worker and had a good and strong heart. Cinderella was one of her inspirations, a role model one might say.

The woman from the costume department started speaking again, "Because you have the chance to snatch the lead role that has already been assigned to Ruriko-chan. You are really lucky. This alone is enough to set the media into a frenzy, and you will become famous overnight."

Kyoko paused. Famous overnight? Cinderella? Had this really happened to her?

Generally, Kyoko felt that she was rather an unlucky person. She had been bullied in school and her mother had never given her the type of love that other mothers had. She'd been dragged into Tokyo and then ditched after her old friend didn't see her as anything other than a housewife. Still, meeting Corn had been a miracle. Knowing that the fairy kingdom had let their prince live a life of an actor and that she was staying with him was something she had never thought would happen. Now her wants could really come true.

Kyoko looked ahead of her. As wrong as she felt taking another person's spot would have been were she more innocent and therefore much more foolish, she could take advantage of the situation from this point. Ruriko had bullied her, stepped on her kindness, and provoked her into this and Kyoko would rely in her dark side to be able to win against her. It wasn't impossible and she wanted the taste of fame. She wanted to prove herself worthy.

She might be a complete beginner when it came to acting but she could try her best and then maybe, just maybe, luck would be on her side today. She could be victorious to both Sho and Ruriko.

The two women stopped her outside of the room that they would be entering and the second woman spoke very casually, "So, you need to change clothes and then I will help you with the makeup."

Kyoko froze. She had already been told that she would be wearing makeup but she hadn't had the words make their way through her head before now. Hearing someone else say it made it so much more real. She had the word drum through her head and she looked at the women with an eager smile. They wouldn't be deceiving her now, would they?

…..

…..

Ren really wanted to see how beautiful Kyoko would be with some time spent on her appearance. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to her already but these people in the makeup and wardrobe departments could do wonders and he was excited to see what they might come up with. He'd have to maintain composure though. People shouldn't know about his feelings for her. It might hurt both of them.

As he made his way to where Kyoko would exit from, he was surprised to see a very upset Ruriko. He wasn't a jerk, well he was never enough of a jerk to be cruel to someone who was upset and he knew that Ruriko had a crush on him. Actually, too many people in Japan had a crush on him for him to feel comfortable.

Without Ruriko and him working together though, this drama would never be finished and he had to concentrate on his acting and let Kyoko take care of herself. Unlike Ruriko, Ren deeply believed that Kyoko could take care of herself. She was gutsy and bold and independent and most girls weren't like that, they hadn't suffered in the same way.

"Tsuruga-san?" Ruriko asked as she looked at him in shock. She hadn't expected for _Ren_ to come find her and it showed on her face.

Ren took a seat next to her and sighed, "The director seems serious this time," he told her and Ruriko sniffed before nodding. "I think you better stop saying things like you want to quit. If you want the director to change his mind," he advised, "then you can only rely on your acting skills."

Ren made sure that he didn't let his emotions show by speaking very gently. He looked over to Ruriko who had her head down and her eyes closed as if she wanted to guard herself from him. Ren hadn't meant to make her feel bad or that he was attacking her. He hadn't wanted for his attraction to Kyoko to get in the way of them being able to film a scene together. He had to work more on concealing his true feelings once again.

"Erm," Ruriko said and Ren looked at her with a gentleman's smile. "You know, Tsuruga-san?" she asked and Ren hummed as he watched her closely. The intense gaze seemed to melt her a little bit.

One of the women from the makeup department came along at this time, cutting Ruriko off from what Ren was guessing would have been an apology. She walked over to them. "Ah?" she asked, "Isn't this Tsuruga-san and Ruriko-chan? Why are the both of you sitting here?" she asked and Ren looked at Ruriko wondering if she already knew the reason. He had been trying to keep his emotions for Kyoko bottled up but maybe it was too obvious what he was thinking. "I know," the woman said with a smile, "Are you waiting here for Kyoko-chan to come out?"

Ruriko glared at her and Ren looked down now that Ruriko was turned away. He hadn't wanted Ruriko to find out as it might cause tension between the two of them which was never good for filming but he had wanted to see her, his childhood friend and his idea of the ideal Japanese woman.

"No, of course not," Ruriko denied but Ren wondered if he'd even have to say anything for people to realize the truth.

As Kyoko stepped out, Ren's breath stopped and he looked at her as if she were a goddess. He knew that she was beautiful even if other people would only see her as plain but he had never thought that he would see her in this way. He tried hard to keep his emotions in check but with how gorgeous she was it was hard for him not to feel like a schoolboy again. No other woman had captivated him in such a way. Nostalgia, it must be the magical witchcraft that accompanied nostalgia. He had held women. Had sex with women. He couldn't be drawn to her like this without his head being confused to nostalgia. It had been too long since he had been satisfied in bed.

Kyoko gazed into Ren's eyes and saw the way that Corn was watching her. He was looking at her as if she were a priceless artwork and it made her a little self conscious. She had thought that she looked like a traditional Japanese woman but Ren was staring at her as if she were more than that. Kyoko shook her head. She promised not to fall in love and love was a foolish emotion that she needed to crush and get rid of. However, imagining Corn looking at her with his emerald eyes made her cheeks heat up.

She was going to have a hard time denying her emotions for this fairy prince.

Kyoko had always wanted to be a princess in a fairytale and the way that she was being treated today made her believe that someone had blessed her with a magic spell. She felt stronger, happier, safer.

…

…

As Ren returned back to the set, he couldn't get Kyoko off of his mind. She was as beautiful as any model that he had ever seen and she made him feel weak and unmanly. This was a strange sensation that he had never had before. He didn't want to go against his decision though, he would say only what was necessary.

"How does she look?" Seiji asked, approaching the paler Ren. For some reason this great actor looked a little discomposed and unlike his firm and workaholic self. He looked weaker as if succumbing to emotion and Seiji wished he had the guts to tell him that.

"A complete transformation," Ren commented, "It is out of my imagination."

He felt a bead of sweat on his cheek. How could he start denying the connection that he had to Kyoko now? What was worse was that at some point soon he would have to tell her the truth and make sure that she heard it and then she would hate him as much as this Sho that she had always spoken about. In her eyes, he would be the most foul and loathsome person that she had ever met. It would be too hard to be attracted to her when she had such feelings directed towards him.

Before Seiji could ask another question, they heard the sound of sandals and Ren looked behind him, a smile flashed across his face before he tried to be more serious. She was so breathtaking. He really had to put a lid on his emotions before they all burst free.

Kyoko felt the crew flock to her, complimenting her on this transformation but her eyes met with Ren's. She nodded her head to him before walking away and then gestured for him to follow her. He excused himself and went to do so. She made sure that nobody could see them before straightening the collar of his shirt.

"You have to get a grip on yourself," she told him as he continued to stare at her speechlessly. "Sometimes human women change because of makeup and even though such things don't happen in the fairy kingdom where all fairies are naturally gorgeous, this happens all the time on Earth and I'd hate for you to be misled."

"Kyoko," Ren said slowly, "Mogami-san. I need to talk to you about that. Talk to you about the mentions of the fairy-"

"I'm so sorry," Kyoko said with a bow, "I know that I shouldn't be mentioning them. I mean, your secret has to stay safe to protect you. I am so sorry, Tsuruga-san," she apologized and he shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't wanted this to happen. He had gone too far with her and he had to stop himself because this wasn't fair at all.

"Mogami-san, the fairy kingdom doesn't…."

"Kyoko-chan!" Seiji called out and Kyoko felt her attention being pulled away and Ren shifted as he continued without her listening to him.

"It doesn't exist," he said but Kyoko, once again, didn't hear him. She was already being pulled over by the director and Ren stood nervously as he watched her go. This hadn't turned out the way that he had hoped that it would at all. However, it was for the best that she hadn't been listening to him. It was cruel to do it in public and he didn't want to risk embarrassing her. Tonight. He would tell her tonight when it was just the two of them alone.

 **End of Act Nineteen**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 18**

FleetingStarDust, Guest, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, misherukuro, MWEH, PaulaGaTo

 **Author Response:**

I'm glad that people are gravitating to the view points of the character. I feel that when I update a fic often people find it easier to follow 😊 I sometimes write random stuff and then because I don't edit, I just post, there's a bunch of weird things in there. I mainly write for me (though I honestly update this one so much to get the reviews which fuel me with writing) so I don't edit and sometimes don't even read back my work, total honesty.


	21. Act 20 - First Time on Camera

**AN:** Thanks for all the support. I really need to cut down on my obsessing and paranoia as it's turning a lot of people off of me.

 **Act Twenty – First Time On Camera**

Ren looked away as he tried to control his feelings for her. He listened to the people around him who were talking about her. He had wanted to say something as well but that might lead Kyoko to tell him that they should still remain as strangers. He paused as he heard the words of others.

"Is she really that girl from earlier on?"

"She is rather pretty"

Ren bowed his head. He had wanted to be the person who could so easily say that to her but it seemed that he had missed his chance. He slowly took a deep breath before letting it out. It was Ruriko who seemed to break through the compliments and, although he felt guilty about it, Ren was glad that she had.

"Hmph!" Ruriko said as she took a step forward, "Just do a little makeup and dress up the outer appearance and anyone will look pretty!" she stated before facing Kyoko straight on. Kyoko looked at her, expecting for the worst types of attacks. She mentally prepared her as she faced Ruriko. "This you, it's not bad. Compared to the previous you, It is as if you are transformed into a different person."

Kyoko grinned as she put her hands together, feeling a type of magic surround her. Ruriko hadn't really insulted her at all, she had just spoken the truth. "True, true. It is as you said," Kyoko smiled with her eyes bright and filled with excitement as Ren raised an eyebrow watching her. "The makeup artist is my fairy godmother," she said as the knife in Ren's gut twisted in even deeper. If he had known her love of fairytales and magic then maybe he wouldn't have tried to convince her he was a fairy in the first place.

Kyoko continued to speak, "I am still indulging in the feeling of being Cinderella who had a spell cast on her." Kyoko grinned before spinning around in complete bliss and joy. "I feel like I'm dreaming," she said as if an American schoolgirl getting ready for the prom.

Ruriko stared at her getting annoyed because of this over the top reaction.

Kyoko continued to speak as everyone watched her in shock, "Moreover, this transformation is due to the makeup! Find a professional to do it and of course you will be pretty!" Ren put his hand out wanting to keep her calm but Kyoko stretched her arms out. "I can say it out loud!" She announced, "This is me! My happiest moment in sixteen years! Everyone, listen to me! I am so fortunate!"

Ren bowed his head as he tried to hide the emotions he felt. He was mentally kicking himself. He was taking advantage of that lonely and sad lifestyle that she had been forced to experience as a kid. He wasn't some knight on a white horse. He was a jerk. He closed his eyes as he tried to take deep breaths, not wanting to see Kyoko in this way whilst he knew that he just continued to lie to her.

Kyoko calmed down a little and dabbed at her eyes, "All this happiness is all thanks to Ruriko-chan," she said as she approached the idol. She smiled as she looked at her rival, "So willful, arrogant, and condescending," she commented and Ruriko glared at her, "Thank you.'

Ruriko glared at her, she had never been insulted like this to her face. "You…" she said puzzled by the bizarre behavior, "Are you picking a fight with me?"

Kyoko closed her eyes again and tilted her head to the side, "Because," she still continued to say. "Ruriko-chan. I want to be even happier. I want to defeat you." Kyoko's eyes had a frightening glare as if she were a predator and Ruriko was her prey. When Ren felt this, he was shocked and he let a little frustration into his expression. He understood that given her circumstances, this was natural for her and he had to try to have a little understanding but he wanted a happy life for her. He wanted her not to feed on anger but it wasn't his right to step in and change her.

Ruriko flew back. She wasn't used to being talked to in this way and her face showed the anger that Kyoko had managed to pull from her. "This job is mine!" she yelled out. Everyone could see that she wasn't going to let Kyoko just take it from her. If Ruriko was any good as an actress then this would be the time to shine.

Seiji grinned, happy to see that things were going so smoothly for them but it still caused Ren to tense up. He wanted the best for Kyoko and he didn't feel that this was best for her. He did want to see her happy but acting was important to him, quite possibly more important than she was, he didn't want her disrespecting his sacrifice and his father's legacy despite people not knowing his background.

…

…

Ren felt his feelings get even more complicated as they started the first scene of the acting test. Kyoko was going to be performing the task of walking across in a kimono and acting as if she were a wealthier young lady. She could do it easily and Ren had no doubt in that. However, he wasn't sure how he felt about Kyoko the actress, was this where she would find her happiness? He looked around to where all of the people were waiting, expecting something great from her. Would she be able to deliver? He hoped so.

Kyoko closed her eyes as she tried to get into her role. She had never stood in front of a camera before, this would be her first time doing so and two things were weighing on her mind. First of all, she wanted to steal the part away from Ruriko. She wanted to prove that she was a superior actress to her. Second of all though, she didn't want to lose the way that Ren viewed her, she didn't want to lead Corn to hate her.

If she performed the best that she could there was less likely of Corn being annoyed by her acting and she wanted to have a good friendship with her fairy prince. As she heard the board clap, she opened her eyes, snapping into character as if she had always been meant to be an actress. She listened to the scene around her, bringing that awareness into her character as well.

Once she heard her cue, Kyoko moved forward with ease. She glided across the room just as she had done so at the Fuwa ryokan. She had been praised by the Fuwa parents for her grace and elegance and now it was time to show the same grace and elegance here as well.

Kyoko, now Choko, looked at the two other women. She blinked surprised as she brought herself into character even more and now Ren was completely infatuated with the scene. "What did you say about me, Mother?" she asked. She stood in the proper position for a woman dressed like she was and her eyes registered the younger woman. "It is Midori Onee-san" she said with a soft smile before bowing elegantly and deeply. "It has been a while."

She was impressively talented.

Ren looked around him. Everyone else was seeing this, weren't they, they were able to see how talented she was. He felt guilty for being angry at her before and wondered if he could make this moment a turning point for her. He had the idea forming that acting could really bring her happiness and if that was the case then he would encourage it.

He saw Seiji looking at her in wonder. She had performed so much better than they had been expecting and Ren caught Yashiro staring at him with a smirk. He quickly adjusted his face, making sure to look down to keep the expression of wonder out of his face. He needed to focus on the fact that he was Ren Tsuruga. He had to keep his composure at all costs.

One word from the director though made it so that Ren couldn't help but to smile, "Perfect."

He could hear some of the crew telling her how good her technique was, the posture, the mannerisms and how she must have learned these thing somewhere. Ren knew the truth. He knew how much energy and diligence the young Kyoko had put in when she had been growing up. He wouldn't share that though. He knew that Kyoko knew but if he didn't want to reveal him and Kyoko to have been friends for one summer in their childhoods, he would have to keep his mouth closed.

He saw Kyoko walk away and his eyes followed her. Why was he so drawn to this girl? It was unprofessional of him. However, as Kyoko managed to find a place where she felt herself unseen, her face suddenly showed her pain and she crouched on the floor. Ren took a moment to look around and since the attention was now on Ruriko, he could make his way over to her.

"Mogami-san," he said and she froze, taking a quick look back at him before bowing her head. "You're still in pain," he approached her, his face portraying his deep concern for her well-being, "even though you wish to pretend you forgot," he said as he made her sit on the floor. "I think whichever place that is in, pain will still be pain," he said.

Kyoko looked down, "It's not that bad and won't this draw unnecessary attention to you?" she asked. Kyoko had to admit that she was glad and felt very special to have Corn beside her, worrying about her wellbeing.

Ren gently touched her shoulder, "Here," he said as he put one of her arms around his waist. "Nobody's watching. I want for you to sit down on that chair," he said with a tilt of his head and Kyoko looked at him before nodding.

As she sat down, Ren gently took the sandal off of her foot and checked on her bandages.

He sighed as he gently examined her foot, "You shouldn't do that to yourself," he told her and Kyoko blinked confused. "It starts to be your fault when you don't take care of yourself. Who asked you to use your left foot to walk as if nothing happened?" he asked her as his eyes showed how much care he had for her. "It is a sprain now, but if you go on like this, be careful for me, please?" he asked her as Kyoko could almost see those brown eyes turn to the emerald ones that were filled with so much kindness and affection. "If you're not careful, it'll turn into a fracture."

"Because…" Kyoko started to argue and she looked into Ren's eyes as he waited for her reason, "to walk steadily both feet have to be used."

Ren looked at her with concern. Was she this determined to prove herself? Was this all for revenge on the guy who had hurt her? He blinked before letting out a deep sigh. He couldn't stop her and he wasn't her boyfriend so he couldn't ask for her not to do this. "Just, be careful, okay?" he asked her before touching her cheek and immediately pulling away. "I really care about you."

Kyoko blinked hard but as he pulled away she realized that this was just out of his kind nature and the heart of a fairy prince. Corn didn't know how to handle human relationships and she was letting her own feelings, her own perspective get the better of her.

"I really want for you to be careful in the next scene, okay?" Kyoko blinked at him and Ren looked down trying to concentrate on her ankle, "It is better that you not compete with her in the next scene," he said and Kyoko leaned forward. Corn was being incredibly serious about this.

"Why?" she asked and he looked at her seeming pained as he turned away for a moment as if unsure how to respond to her. "Is it the scene where there is an uphill climbing?" she continued and Ren sighed before looking down again.

"It is a tea ceremony scene," he told her and Kyoko paled knowing how difficult that would be but she wanted to do it. You never got a free ride in life but she wasn't going to pass up this chance. She'd apologize to him later but she was ready to tackle what came next.

 **End of Act 20**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 19**

Guest, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, , MWEH

 **Author Response:**

I think I need a change in perspective and the holiday season doesn't help with that. Unfortunately, Kyoko is and isn't the person who Ren will tell that he's not a fairy prince to if you know what I mean which will cause further problems 😉 Let's say that the corresponding chapter to when he'll tell her in this fic is where there is also discussion of a certain "dance".

Also, I know that those who have been following me for a while know this but it's been popping up on a lot of different fics recently. One of my **pet peeves** as a writer and a busy student/retail employee as well as a writer is that I really hate when people pressure me to update, I find it incredibly rude so please don't do it anymore. I know that it is just people excited to read the next chapter but when I feel pressured, I am less likely to update and sometimes if pressured too much I purposefully don't update because I feel pressured to do so. Anyway, I know this might sound a little harsh but I'm requesting you not to do that anymore. Thank you.


	22. Act 21 - Preparations for Tea

**AN:** I want to start by telling all of you how appreciative I am for you all but I'm going to stop responding to comments at the end. I have my own reasons of why I don't like to have people asking me to update things quicker but it's painful to talk about. In short, someone once told me daily that if I didn't write new chapters for a fanfic quickly that they were going to end their life and that has haunted me for nine years. I was really hurt last night by a guest reviewer who told me that I was chastising people without even seeing how begging is wrong but I felt that not publishing until January was being pretty petty.

Please forgive my lack of author notes until I am comfortable with doing it again. Please enjoy

 **Act Twenty-One – Preparations for Tea**

"It is a tea ceremony scene."

Those words floated around Kyoko's head as she studied Ren's steady face. Having grown up at the ryokan and having been trained to help out with the customers, Kyoko had learned about the tea ceremony and sometimes that hurt your body even if you were healthy at the beginning. It seemed pure madness to be doing it with a fracture over your foot. She watched Ren. She wanted to make him proud of her as well. She couldn't get scared and give up right now.

"I estimate that it will take at least fifteen minutes before it is okay," Ren told her as he helped slide her sandal on and Kyoko watched him nervously. "If you are careless and get injured then it will take even longer," he continued and Kyoko looked at her foot and thought of the gentle way that Corn had touched her. Only fairy princes touched her in those types of ways.

"Your ankle has been sprained, it hurts a lot just by walking," Ren told her and Kyoko knew that she hadn't have much of a leg…or a foot to stand on in these circumstances, "This one scene," he looked at her with a heavy severity on his face that made Kyoko's breath stop in her chest. "From the beginning until the end will require a kneeling position for the filming. Do you have the confidence to last that long?"

Kyoko paled as she thought about the pain that she would have to go through to get to the ending point but then she also had spent countless nights awake or with very little sleep in order to take care of Shotaro and to pay for the apartment. She felt herself shiver a little and her eyes showed her terror.

"If it's too hard then I can take care of it," Ren continued to tell her and Kyoko was starting to see that he wanted her to not focus on the scene. Did he have that little trust in her abilities?

Ren was hoping that she would understand that it wasn't worth it, he wanted to protect her. He looked at Kyoko as her face changed to a more stubborn one and he felt the power of the two rivals as Kyoko and Ruriko looked at one another. This was a challenge that no third party would be able to enter. This was something that the two of them wouldn't just agree to a surrender upon. This was war.

…..

…

Kyoko watched Ruriko as she seemed to have a slight mastery over the tea that she was making. It was impressive, yes, but Kyoko knew that her technique was better. She had grown up in the type of environment that she was supposed to be acting natural within. This was as if she were back in Kyoto, of course _if_ she was back in Kyoto then she wouldn't have met with Corn.

She thought about the way that Ren had looked at Ruriko with interest but she didn't take it as an attack against her. Ren cared a lot about what he did and Corn had made so many sacrifices so that he could participate in the acting world. It made sense that he would be curious and want to keep things in his control.

Kyoko bowed her head and smiled softly. She could impress him by being better than Ruriko and then she would accomplish two things and she would be able to tell him that he was an inspiration to her and that she treasured their friendship and that she knew fairy-human relationships were off limits so she'd have to try and control herself so that she really didn't fall for him.

It was okay to fall in love with a fairy, right? It was only human men that she couldn't fall in love with.

One of the crew members turned to Kyoko who was just watching Ruriko refine her technique, "So then, do you also want to practice for a bit, Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko smiled softly, "No," she held up her hand trying to be polite to those who, in her mind, she could be working with quite soon. "I'm fine. If possible I do not want to kneel down."

The man looked at her confused, Kyoko was leaning on a large stick but she was trying to keep her injury to a minimum so that the director didn't immediately disqualify her. She frowned before looking up at the light and then turned to Ruriko. Maybe it was petty but Kyoko didn't want to keep too tight a lid on her pettiness. "By the way, I have been bothered by something for a while. Ruriko-chan, you…aren't you allergic to UV rays?"

Everyone turned to Kyoko in complete shock but Kyoko continued to look at Ruriko as if challenging her, she saw everyone rise to look at her. "No way! Isn't she simply avoiding the sunlight!?" they asked and Kyoko took a step back.

Wow. She had had a feeling that she had been wrong but the way that everyone reacted around her was more shocking. Was she the only person that someone like Ruriko had ever lied to? No that couldn't be possible. Still, she was tricked into believing Ruriko in the beginning so it must be the same for everybody else as well.

Now she was seeing everything as a way for Ruriko to manipulate her, well she wasn't going to let anyone push her around anymore.

…

…

Ren was a little worried as he looked across at Seiji who seemed to be walking with a slight skip in his step, he was actually having fun during this time whilst Ren was concerned about Kyoko and how she would handle the acting challenge. He didn't want to make his feelings known to everyone about Kyoko especially since he couldn't do anything with her.

Seiji turned to Ren, "The next scene will be shot outdoors, I didn't think Ruriko would so quickly agree to have an outdoor shooting. I was even thinking that Takarada-san's plan would be difficult to execute. Ruriko-chan most definitely does not want to lose to that girl."

Ren frowned as he said this. It was true. Ruriko did _not_ want to be the loser in this challenge but Ren cared far more about how Kyoko would be in this situation. He didn't want for her to not understand how hard the acting world was and find herself a failure in it. He knew that there was only a slight chance of her actually being chosen in the role and it was next to nothing if Ruriko didn't quit on them but he still wanted her to be happy.

He sighed as he tried to think of how happy Kyoko had been when she was a child. As they walked to the area where the girls were practicing their tea ceremony, Ren paused as he heard the sound of them fighting. This brought him back to his teenage years with girls fighting all around him. Still, it was nothing to how he had fought with guys when he was a young kid. He sighed as he looked in that direction.

What was wrong with him? Kyoko was a child and in America, he would be labelled as a pedophile if he even tried to have a relationship with her. Their age gap was far too large and the immature sounds of two teenage girls fighting was making him realize how dangerous the things he had been doing actually were.

"Director, what's wrong?" he coughed pretending not to know about it. He knew that it was Kyoko and Ruriko but he really wanted to be proven wrong and for it to be Ruriko with somebody else. Where had the mature Kyoko gone?

…..

…..

Kyoko was standing opposite Ruriko with their hands together as they each tried to get the other one to submit and to fall onto the ground. They were angry at each other but Kyoko was done with this. She didn't want to hear people lying to her and abusing her anymore. If say Corn had told her that he wasn't a fairy but just pretending to be a fairy, well that type of lie would only make her hate the world more. No. Corn was good. She had to concentrate her disgust on the woman opposite her, the one who had caused all of this.

"Saying that you are sensitive to UV Rays is actually all a lie! To think that you look cute on the outside but the personality is such a big deviation! You lying idol!" Kyoko yelled loudly with sweat on her cheeks, her eyes lit with a dangerous intensity.

Ruriko snapped back with the same force, "You are mistaken of your part! I have never said that I am sensitive to UV Rays! Do not pretend to know when you don't and then push the blame onto me! You useless LME Member!"

Kyoko tried not to bite her own tongue off but it was like a devil had just entered her, all this black energy that had been building up and now it was spewing out orally as well, it was as if she were vomiting it up. "Since I am mistaken, why didn't you tell me then! Why do you still purposely pretend that your body is weak and I had to end up carrying such a big umbrella. What do you mean you are just afraid of being under the sun? Because of this lame reason, I actually believed and wanted to protect you, and I even hurt my ankle. I cannot be more stupid."

Ruriko felt more disgust and anger on her own expression since she wasn't used to being yelled at like this. "Hurting your ankle should be your fault since you fell down yourself! Moreover I said to you to "carry me" You shouldn't blame me and if there is blame to be made, it should be on that stupid brain of yours!"

Ren watched as Seiji tried to get involved in breaking up the two girls fighting. Ren wasn't sure how to feel about this. Girls fought a lot but he wanted Kyoko to mature out of this as soon as possible. He wanted her to have a good life and maybe if he wasn't in the picture then she could do so and achieve that.

Was this all his fault that she wasn't moving on, the fact that he just continued to lie to her?

Ruriko pushed Kyoko down again and whilst the director took a step away so that he could talk to her, Ren was relieved that he could give Kyoko his attention again. "You," he began, "to be honest, you really are stupid." At first it looked like he was scolding her but as Kyoko dared to look at him she could see his concern and how worried he was about her. She shouldn't have scuffled because that just made things feel worse but she had been brought to do so by Ruriko's bad mood.

"To me," Ren sighed, "Wouldn't it be better this time for you to give up?" he asked her and Kyoko froze. Was Corn really asking for her to give up? He wouldn't do that, right? She closed her eyes wanting the pain to stop but listened to his words.

"Even though the director did put into consideration your foot injury and greatly reduced the shot of the tea ceremony. Judging by your injury its not possible to kneel anymore," he stated and Kyoko closed her eyes.

 _Please let me try, Corn. Please just let me try_.

She opened her mouth to speak but already Ruriko was attempting to pull Corn away from her. She wanted to prove who she was to him. She would _have_ to try.

 **End of Chapter Twenty One**

 **Thanks for reading**

 **Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter:**

FleetingStarDust, Guest, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, misherukuro, MWEH, Paulagato, The Real Jackie-O


	23. Act 22 - The Final Round

**AN:** Over the last half dozen chapters I've been realizing how slow this fic is moving. I might try to aim for 2500 words per chapter. Now, I said aim. Hope you enjoy.

 **Act Twenty-Two :: The Final Round**

Kyoko looked down as Ren left her. She didn't want for him to get caught up in this crap as well. Since Corn was a fairy, things were probably very different in the fairy kingdom where he had grown up without people lying to him and the human kingdom where everybody lied to get an advantage. As memories of her life flowed through her mind, Kyoko saw a level of hate deepen and se looked up at Ruriko, grinning in a cold manner. She didn't realize how that might be misunderstood as a hate towards Ren.

"Tsuruga-san," Ruriko asked him as she shivered because of the weird aura. "You do want to act alongside with that person."

Ren blinked. It wasn't so much the acting or doing his job with Kyoko that interested him, really any additional time he could spend with Kyoko would be well worth it for him but saying that would allow people to see the holes in their plan and Kyoko didn't want that for them. He didn't want to let her down.

He faked a look of surprise towards the question, wanting to clear all of the emotion from his face. Ruriko continued to drag him.

"Because you are always concerned about her." Ruriko pouted and Ren felt that he had to do something, he laughed softly so that his feelings for Kyoko would be misinterpreted as love for his job. Turning any good emotion into love for his job was one way of hiding the effect that Kyoko had to him.

"You are mistaken," he replied, "this has nothing to do with her. The person I truly want to work with is one who towards her work expects persistency and who bears such an attitude." There, he had secretly chosen Kyoko over Ruriko without Ruriko realizing this. He had also put the president's plan back into action again just with a few lines. Yes, he did want to spend more time with his childhood friend but he also didn't think that premiering this way would be good for her.

Ruriko looked shocked and Ren knew that things were coming together in her head. He knew that she was going to be the one chosen but hopefully in this way, it would be a pleasant working relationship.

…..

…..

As the scene began, Ren took his place kneeling opposite Ruriko. She had her head bowed as she was trying to get into character. She didn't have his experience and especially his experience living every day as somebody else. This meant that he would have to be patient towards her and let her know it was okay to be nervous. As long as he could lead her with his own action, the scene would be worthy of their time.

Ren closed his eyes trying to concentrate on the scene. He was now a character who had never heard of Kyoko Mogami before and didn't believe in the fairy kingdom so he just had to focus on who he was at this moment. He knew he wasn't the inner him so he had to keep that person closed off from the world.

He tried to center himself as he listened to Ruriko's character making the tea for him as her honored guest. Whatever he did, thinking about Kyoko right now was acting suicide and he had given far too much for that to happen.

Then why, even though he was a professional actor, did he wish that she would be the person he would open his eyes and see. What had that woman done to him?

…

…

Kyoko was trying to refuse the words of anyone who might try to convince her not to do the scene with Ren. She wanted to see his acting first hand and though she had to pretend that her goal was revenge against Ruriko, most of it was to make Ren proud of her. He wasn't like other guys – well, he _was_ a fairy – and she wanted him to like her. That was a foolish thought, wasn't it?

"Your injured ankle has to be put into consideration," Yashiro told her, happy that they had met before so that he had realized that Ren cared a lot about her and Ren actually mattered a lot to him despite the distance that Ren put up between himself and everyone else. If Ren could be happy then it would be something that would improve his work.

Kyoko looked to Yashiro with a smile, "I'm all right," she told him.

Yashiro paused and looked at her concerned, "But," he began but Kyoko tried to wave away his concern and she continued to smile as elegantly as she appeared in this outfit.

"I'm really all right," Kyoko attempted to assure him giving Yashiro another momentary pause to consider. "So, please do not be concerned." Kyoko's smile increased, spreading out over her whole face now. "It is okay. I will not give up even if it is a bone fracture because…" Kyoko's face turned cold again as ideas of winning and revenge took her over, it was as if she had lost control of it, "even if it is a fracture, a cure can also still be found."

Yashiro was taken aback by her laughter. He felt uneasy that this was the type of girl that Ren had been attracted to but when she wasn't like this, she was sweet and smart and Ren always loved a girl with guts. In fact, most of the people that Ren respected the most had guts. This girl might be getting too close to Ren for Yashiro's comfort.

…..

…

Ren closed his eyes again as he heard the director yell out another cut. He knew that he was doing some of his best work so he wasn't worried about that. What he was worried was that he wasn't leading Ruriko to the conclusion of the scene and he knew that he couldn't be blamed for that. He listened to the harsh words that Seiji said again as well as laughter from one of the crew members that she had insulted since her arrival.

"Cut! Ruriko, you are missing some of your lines! Don't stare at Ren until you forget yourself!" he called out and Ren paused. He closed his eyes again unsure how he should be reacting to that. His expression remained a neutral and he heard Seiji sigh, getting a little irritated by the scene that was playing before him.

"Forget it. Let's move on to Kyoko next! Come and get ready."

Ren finally looked at Kyoko who was a mix of nervous and excited. He had hoped that she would change her mind on doing the scene since it would put an incredible amount of strain on her injury. He would be carrying her around if it were not that people would misunderstand his intentions. He didn't want her to be pulled into this where she could do some serious harm. He wanted to do what was best for her.

Ruriko looked at Kyoko in shock, still feeling that she had more energy that she could give to the scene.

Kyoko moved forward, the shock showing on her face as she approached the set. This was the defining moment of her day and it was also the first time that she would be facing Ren as an actor. She was really excited to see the skills that he had developed. "Okay," she said eagerly.

As she stood though, the pain in her foot was too much and she felt that this was going to be torture but sometimes it was worth enduring pain to get to the end result and this felt like one of those situations. Kyoko saw that Ruriko was talking to the director and she made her way over to him, feeling the pressure in her feet but she was determined to not let herself fail. After all of the sacrifices that she had made for Shotaro, she knew that she possessed an inner strength that others didn't.

"Ruriko-chan," Kyoko said with a warm and seemingly-friendly smile, "Please look carefully," she said and Ruriko paled as she turned to her. Kyoko could sense the fear from her prey, this was usually the time to attack but Kyoko would try another method to bring her down. "I will work hard to complete the mission given to Love Me," she announced and Ruriko looked at her slowly.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a pause as her eyes tried to take in Kyoko, this girl was a lot scarier than Ruriko had originally believed that _any_ girl could be.

"Come on," Kyoko said with an even bigger smile, "You've forgotten? My job" she said and Ruriko continued to stare at her not knowing what to make of this kind of behavior. "I have said that I will protect Ruriko-chan and not let you be exposed to the sun. So, even if it is a place in show-biz where you will not be exposed to the sun at all. I will make sure that you will get there."

Ruriko froze. By the sun was she speaking about her entrance into the acting world where the media would love her. That was the sun for an idol like her and an actor for Tsuruga Ren. Was she really implying that she would be kept in the darkness and trapped in obscurity. No. That couldn't be right. How could this girl, who had never been part of show business, say something like that to her with so much confidence? It wouldn't happen, would it?

Ruriko stepped forwards, "What? Are you saying that you will make me stay in your shadows and not get any attention? Stop joking. Since it is like this then snatch this chance to work on this movie from my hands if you have capability. Only then can you come and boast when you get to debut."

Once, this was said, Kyoko returned with a very determined and superior look that showed that, at least in her eyes, she outranked Ruriko in nearly every single way. Ruriko had a sharp inhale and took a step back. Not many people could have the confidence that Kyoko had put into her smug and satisfied smile and Ren had to admit that he felt she was strong enough to be okay even if she wasn't victorious. She was a worthy challenger.

If Ren were to guess then he'd definitely say that the confidence within Kyoko was because of her past. She had been brought up in a ryokan where she had known things like the tea ceremony but she still wasn't fully grasping what acting was. Acting was a combined feeling of experiencing something that didn't exist, the thoughts and sensations that the character knew. Yes, having background knowledge helped but it wasn't acting. Well, Ren was interested in how successful Kyoko would be. This was going to be her chance to prove that to him.

…

…

Ren stared at his friend as she was on her hands and knees. She was in a lot of pain and as much as he wanted to yell at her and tell her to stop being stupid, he knew that if he caused a scene that she wouldn't forgive him for that. She needed everyone around her to see her as strong, she had always needed that.

Ren sighed, bowing his head, "Seriously," he began, "I'm totally defeated by your perseverance, but, if you have to act using this position then you have no chance of winning. This is not something you can just say and go ahead to do, right?"

Kyoko frowned at him before closing her eyes. She knew he was trying to help her but she needed to prove her worth and this time she didn't need for him to get involved, with him becoming involved there might be some people getting the wrong idea and she didn't want to expose Corn's true fairy nature.

Ren could hear the director talking to himself, worrying about what Kyoko was going through and part of Ren wanted to wring his neck for this. Kyoko was suffering and he was using that suffering to his advantage and Kyoko was too stubborn to see this for herself. Ren definitely didn't want to be the bad guy and he knew that he had to carry on to the end but this wasn't worth Kyoko getting hurt.

Kyoko felt the intense pain in her ankle, sweat making its way down her cheeks but she wasn't going to give up. She had learned about how to bring about the inner peace years ago when she was a child and she hadn't had a mother who would just make everything better. Whether the pain in her heart or in her body, it was no different.

She thought about how she had to keep a smile on her face until the guest left and that she had to ignore pains in her body to give the best experience at the ryokan. This was just the same as that apart from now Corn was with her and Corn would catch her if she fell.

She could do it again just like when she was a child.

Right now she wasn't facing Corn as Ren Tsuruga, she was facing him as his character, a guest at a traditional Japanese inn. She just had to believe in it enough for it to be real.

"Action!"

 **End of Act 22**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 21**

EmmaLasagna, Guest, H-Nala, Kaname671, KrisXD, kyoandyuya, misherukuro, paulagato,

 **Author Note**

First of all, thanks for all of the support

Secondly, for those still doing your shopping for the holidays here's a tip on how not to be hated by retail workers 😊 A customer I was helping today told me that she wanted some of Item X because her daughter had broken one, I showed her but she wasn't sure if it was Item X in Size A or Size B. She said that she would have to bring her daughter in on Christmas to check. I laughed and said, oh this weekend then, we'll still be having our sale. It turns out she actually meant Christmas Day. She thought that we were going to keep the store open on Christmas Day and thought it was unfair that we were closed so that she couldn't go shopping with her family on the afternoon of Christmas Day.

So, quick tip for the holidays. Don't expect for any store to be open on Christmas. Retail workers are as entitled to enjoying their holidays as you are 😊 Thank you and happy holidays


	24. Act 23 - The Tea Scene

**Act 23 – The Tea Scene**

It was astonishing how quickly Kyoko managed to pull herself together and sit up as if she were in no pain at all. She looked like the perfect Japanese hostess. Sure, when he was growing up and he thought back on his short time in Japan, Ren had thought of Kyoko as a perfect Japanese girl but now he was seeing the perfect Japanese woman and he hated to admit it but he felt a little uneasy. He tried to keep a neutral expression and match her acting but he knew that both he and Seiji were impressed.

Ren was also concerned though. Her ankle must be in a lot of pain and she was just ignoring it. He hoped that she wouldn't get hurt but she was too stubborn to be reasoned with especially by someone who had lied to her over and over again.

Kyoko had such a radiant smile on her face that it gave Ren pause. There was no way that her pain was magically taken away from her. She had to be suffering and he wanted to stop the scene but he was a professional, one wrong move and his career might go in an unexpected and unwanted direction.

Kyoko looked at Ren, she knew that Corn was suffering underneath his gentle smile and character but she wanted to prove to him that she could act and that she wouldn't need to rely on revenge. This was her chance of showing him her skills and she didn't want to let this opportunity pass without giving it everything she could.

Ren smiled as he decided just to meet her on this as actors. She had amazing determination and he had to give that to her. His eyes showed that he was ready to treat her as an equal at least for this scene. If he could encourage her to do more roles then maybe she would want to continue as an actress and not let the pain and anger cloud her happy life. He wanted to lead her as much as possible and see how she would respond to him.

There was a soft pause and Kyoko reached forward for the props to make the tea, recalling the times when she had done it as a child. When you grew up with that type of environment, these things became second nature to her and she could hear whispers of how this was amazing and she had skill and acted like a professional who did this for a living. Well, she had been raised to do this from an early age so of course she could do it near professionally.

Making tea was something that she could do and if it won her this role she would continue to do it so that she could show how skillful she really was. It was the person in front of her who she truly hoped to impress. Corn had given her so much and all he had asked her to do were household chores and making him food. If he enjoyed the tea that she made then that was just another way of making it up to him and repaying him for his kindness and generosity. She would have to see his reaction when he drank the tea that she had prepared.

"This morning," Ren said as he turned the tea in his hand and Kyoko noticed that even the way that he did that was in character. He made all these small gestures and all of it was done in character. He was truly impressive and Kyoko wondered whether he was happy with his choice and his sacrifice to leave the fairy world. "I've been there. The sound of the wind there really does sound like bell tolls."

Kyoko watched him with interest, sinking into her character as she did so. She was lost in his acting and she had to admit that she was incredibly proud to be his friend. She continued to watch him, her face never betraying her character. "It is probably like that," Ren continued before looking at her and gripped by his talent, Kyoko opened her eyes amazed. Her heart beat heavily in her chest. He had told her not to fall for him and she might be failing at that already.

Ren ran his thumb over his lips which cause for Kyoko to stare at him. She had to concentrate on the scene but really she was concentrating on the man opposite her and trying hard not to fall for him. The relationships between fairies and humans were forbidden, she had to remember that. "Haven't you been there?" Ren asked her and Kyoko opened her mouth just watching him.

She froze as she realized that she had a line to deliver. The emotions of the line, if she remembered correctly, were lonely and calm and she had been a bit forceful because she wished to be noticed. Maybe she could turn it around for herself just a little. She continued to try to figure her line but he continued and she realized that he hadn't finished.

"Not at all?" he asked her, "It is hard to come by, getting to live of this piece of land. Is there some kind of reason?" he asked. He gently placed the tea cup down and stared at the ground a moment longer before looking up at her. His expression almost dared her to answer as if he were a bandit and she were the robber who was chasing after him. Kyoko continued to stare at him stunned. This look must be how he felt trying to flee the palace guards in fairyland. He must have been pretty arrogant, maybe she was too blinded by his generosity to notice his arrogance. Well, it wasn't his fault, he was a prince after all. He was royalty.

Kyoko felt that she couldn't really help but to gasp as she saw this. He had such power in his expression and she wondered if she had ever faced him like this. He was using his own emotions in his character and being separated from his homeland like this, it must be hard to create these moments. She looked at him in wonder, almost forgetting that she was supposed to be acting. It was just such a shock to see that kind of look from him. Hopefully this wouldn't affect her performance in the end.

As she continued to see his look she wondered if he really was challenging her and her mind scrambled, why would Corn be challenging her? Why would he feel the need to challenge a human? He was the prince of the fairies and even if he was in a human body, Kyoko couldn't out perform a fairy prince. Kyoko felt her sweat run down her cheek. How was she supposed to answer a fairy challenge. She saw a glint in Ren's eyes and her breath stopped again in her chest.

Kyoko had to put herself together again. She coughed, "Since I was young, I have been warned not to get close to that cape," she said as she tried to withdraw into herself so that she could deliver the lines to the best of her ability. She felt that he had caught her and she was trying her hardest to resist him. He had told her not to fall in love with him and she couldn't fall in love with him. No, that wouldn't be fair to either of them.

"Ahh," his character responded before looking into the distance a little mournfully and Kyoko wanted to see what he had reacted to. His face looked curious but also pained. Were these Corn's inner feelings? He was pained because he was away from his royal family and living the life of a human? She couldn't blame him, the human world probably wasn't as great as the fairy realm.

"Rings of the bell," Ren said and Kyoko gasped. He could hear something? Maybe the fairy court, the royal family wouldn't come and appear in front of everyone would they? No, it would be far too dangerous for something like that to happen. Kyoko tried to listen, if they were coming then she wanted to know of their arrival.

Ren continued to speak, "Are you afraid of being enticed by the bell rings, aren't you?" he asked her and Kyoko's eyes widened. So it hadn't been the fairy family here on earth, they were still acting the scene and Kyoko had forgotten that for a moment. The cup that she was holding fell from her hands but she continued to stare at him. He had been able to pull her along with his acting, everything that she had said and done had been in reaction to Corn. He was so talented and she was glad she got to see it up close.

Kyoko tried hard to fight against the pain in her ankle as it returned. She tried to force herself to think of when she had pain in the past but there were guests at the ryokan and she had tried to give a good impression to the other people, trying to bring them the same joy that she got from Shotaro. She wanted to prove to Corn that she took him seriously and that she took his sacrifice seriously.

She had to endure the pain until the guest had left from the set. Just a little bit more. She noticed that Ren had stood up and walked to the other side of the staged area just looking into the distance.

Ren sighed, "Looking at the way you are now. Do you already know reasons surrounding the sea cape?" he asked as he tried to show the withdrawn character reaction. He tried to continue with his acting before turning around and his eyes showed his shock at seeing the way that Kyoko was. She was incredibly pale and it seemed that she was suffering. He shouldn't have pushed her too far knowing how stubborn she was.

Seiji ran towards the scene telling them to stop but Kyoko wasn't moving. Seiji climbed onto the stage, facing Kyoko who seemed to be completely out of it. "We can stop here! Please, stop acting!"

Ren felt his heart weaken as he stared at her. It was as if she were completely paralyzed and he had never felt this level of fear whilst in Japan. Of course, when he was in the area of his birth, he had had something worse happen than this because at least Kyoko was alive but somehow it felt like he imagined a husband would feel losing their wife. No. That was stupid. Friends. They were just friends.

"Kyoko, it's already over, did you hear me?" Seiji asked and Ren wanted to grab her and hold her to him. He wanted to connect with her but she seemed at a complete disconnect with the world around her.

Kyoko felt that she was falling into the darkness and she whispered the only words she could hold tight to. "No, not yet, it's not over yet," she told them and Seiji looked at her not knowing what to do. He hadn't seen an actress lose it like this for a very long time and especially not someone who this was their first time acting.

"I can understand your feeling," Seiji stressed, "but the current condition of your body is not good."

Kyoko had the words register in her head but she still was caught up in the messiness of her own past. He didn't understand. They couldn't understand how it felt to be like this, to need to keep the customer happy.

"No," she whispered although her face was covered with sweat, "I…until the end, I absolutely will not leave this spot."

Ren stood facing her. He wanted to yell at her to think more about herself and that the scene was over and more than anything he wanted her to be okay. He wanted her to be less pale and more aware of where her limitations were. He wanted to tell her that he cared about her health and safety. He wasn't sure if any of those words would even make a difference at this point.

"Kyoko-chan," Seiji said uncomfortably, "You have already done your best," he tried to reason with her but Kyoko continued to stare at Ren.

"The guest is still…is still here," she said and Ren blinked at her. Was this because he was here? He didn't understand. She didn't need to prove anything to him, he had already recognized her and he hoped that she didn't think he was angry at her because he wasn't. Kyoko grew even paler as if she were becoming more and more possessed. "Before the guest leaves his seat, I absolutely cannot leave," she told them and Seiji tried to think of what to do. Had she actually lost herself in the scene.

As Seiji ordered Ren to get off the set, he quickly did so although he felt like a little boy as he watched her. Just as he had wanted to do when he was a ten-year-old, he wanted to help her, he wanted to protect her from the sadness and he couldn't believe that it was because of him that she was suffering. As he looked at her, he saw a little awareness on her face but he just wanted to hold her close to him.

Seiji returned to Kyoko, "Kyoko-chan," he said slowly, "There's no one here."

Kyoko's eyes flashed her recognition of the fact and she allowed herself to faint, collapsing onto the stage. It was over. The guest had gone and now she could rest. She didn't have time to see the crushing blow on Ren's face or the concern and agony he was going through as she fainted. Yashiro looked at him, Ren looked so guilty as if he had caused for this to happen and that he couldn't protect her.

That was the look of a man in love but Yashiro didn't know how quickly this love would be interrupted once Kyoko learned that Corn wasn't a fairy prince in the slightest.

 **End of Act 23**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to reviewers of Act 22**

EmmaLasagna, Guest, Kaname671, Kay, Kris XD, misherukuro

 **Also, special note mainly for me. I've nearly reached one of my goals. I'm about 2,000 words away from hitting 2M words posted on this account**


	25. Act 24 - The Test is Concluded

**AN:** I was unable to update this yesterday because I had to go to the hospital. I know there are a number of you who have been following me for some time but in 2017 I had a moderate brain injury and was put on worker's comp for a few weeks and had to have limited working conditions for a little under two months. Well, I almost had a mini stroke this past weekend without realizing it and so I was unable to update.

That being said, I'm feeling a little better today and I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays. I'm Pagan and celebrate 'consumerism Christmas' as well as observing the solstice. So, whatever religion you are, please enjoy it 😊

 **Act 24 – The Test is Concluded**

Kyoko sighed as she looked up from where she was lying down on the bed. She closed her eyes. She had lost and Ruriko had won the role that was originally hers. If she had only held on for just a little longer then she would have had the role in her hand. She thought about how alone she was whilst she lay in the room. Usually people would have loved ones, friends, family, here with them when they got injured but she was alone again.

She heard a knock on the door and then looked over as the door opened.

"Hi," Ren said as he snuck in to see her. "I hope that I'm not interrupting anything, I just wanted to see if you were feeling okay," he asked her and Kyoko thought that she was staring at a ghost. He had come away from everything to speak to _her_? She felt honored by what he had done but she was anxious to what other people would think of his actions.

"What are you interrupting?" Kyoko asked as she looked from side to side and saw his relieved expression. "You shouldn't be here?" she asked and Ren smiled as he approached her.

"I got special permission from the director to do so, they have some shots with just Ruriko-chan to do so I wanted to see if you were okay and if you've stopped being stupid," he said with a soft chuckle and Kyoko smiled too. She looked down. She hadn't wanted to think of her as stupid but she had wanted for him to see the acting that she could bring to life.

"Was it all stupid?" she asked and Ren looked at her in shock before shaking his head.

"No, of course it wasn't. Did you enjoy it? The acting part of it?" he asked and Kyoko looked at him with a nod.

"You really know how to make others follow your lead," she told him before thinking about what she had gone through that day. "Seeing the passion that you put into your work, that honesty with your emotions. I want to be able to do that, to give that through a character." She looked up at Ren and saw him smile. "You can tell the others that I'm okay and that I understand that I didn't take the part from Ruriko but please try to keep that smile on your face that acting brings you, Corn." She told him.

"Kyoko, about the way you call me Co-" he began but at this point Kyoko's doctor came in to provide clearance papers for her and Ren bowed his head. No. Now was probably not the right time to tell her that the fairy kingdom didn't exist.

…..

…..

Kyoko had pushed for Ren to go back to the hotel without her so that they didn't draw suspicion at their being friends and although Ren didn't like to do it, he had done as Kyoko had wished. So, as Kyoko returned back to the inn that they were using for location shoots, she felt that she wasn't drawing too much attention. It felt good that she could go back to being invisible.

As she went to take a seat, Kyoko saw Ruriko's manager come rushing up to her. She looked like she was about to beg for forgiveness and Kyoko couldn't see any need for her to do that. The woman looked at her nervously, "I'm really very sorry. I had no idea that because of Ruriko-chan, you fractured your bone" she said wanting for Kyoko to forgive her.

Kyoko stared at her for a moment, she didn't see any reason as to why she wouldn't forgive this woman. It wasn't her fault that the car broke down and she had just been doing her job, she and Kyoko were in very similar situations. With a smile, Kyoko raised her hand as if to wave away what had happened. "No," she whispered, "Don't say it like that. Please don't put this to heart, I didn't fracture my bone," she said with a warm smile before she felt the anger inside her start to build a little. "It's just that the crack on my bone became unbelievably large."

Kyoko could hear herself grumbling to this woman but she had all the right to. She had spent two hours going to the hospital and getting a cast put on her foot. It would have been better for it to hurt worse but for her to land the part. She growled again as the anger swirled around them.

…..

…..

Ren had always known that Kyoko had had no chance in securing the role. She wasn't one of the talents for LME just yet and the president wouldn't have allowed for one of his plans not to work just so he would be forced to think of a new plan. Ren was mainly annoyed at Seiji for giving Kyoko false hope which was never going to be fulfilled.

"It's no wonder that she's angry," Yashiro began even though Ren knew what he was to say, "When she fainted and was sent to the hospital for treatment, the acting role was actually taken by Ruriko-chan" he said and Ren nodded. Yashiro had gone with Ren as he went to check on Kyoko though he hadn't told the director that Ren actually went in alone. Yashiro had seen the feelings Ren had for Kyoko and it would be easier for them to go together.

Ren sighed as his shoulders slumped slightly, "That can't be helped either. I think the director never had the intention to let her act as the female lead." Ren was a little surprised by the fact that Yashiro hadn't figured this out and how they couldn't have stopped a woman with a serious injury from helping get one stubborn woman to start doing her job. Ren looked over at Seiji with the determination on his face, "Isn't it, Director?"

Seiji sighed as he looked back at the two other men feeling rather guilty about what he was saying. He didn't intend to let Kyoko get so hurt but it had worked out in his favor. In this industry you had to hold onto luck if it presented itself to you.

"You're under the entrustment of Takarada-san, right? To help take care of Ruriko-chan?" Ren said as Seiji laughed again.

"If I change roles without permission, I'll simply be asking for my death. If Takarada-san wants to ruin me. It'll be an easy matter," he said honestly knowing that compared to Lory Takarada, he was a preschool boy playing in a sandbox with dolls. He bowed his head with a sigh, "I initially thought that letting that girl compete with her will let Ruriko develop an awareness of danger and Ruriko will change more or less," he said making it sound like he had turned Kyoko into a test subject or guinea pig.

"But I didn't think that there would be unexpected results," Seiji said and Ren looked at him. He knew what he was saying. Kyoko had the talent to act and Ren wanted to see her in more roles, he wanted her to live a life that she enjoyed and that was filled with beautiful things. That was the type of life that Kyoko deserved.

…

…

Kyoko's eyes widened as she looked at the stamp on her Love Me Book. She couldn't believe it and her heart seemed to beat heavily in her chest as her jaw dropped. Had Ruriko really given her the stamp that she thought she had. Kyoko let her finger slide over it. '100 Points Perfect. Did an Excellent Job!'

Did Ren ask for her to do this? No. Ruriko wasn't the type of person who would do something just because she was asked, never mind the attractiveness of the man. She looked at Ruriko as she looked annoyed at the stamp that she just used. Was that a mistake, an error in judgement maybe?

Kyoko looked at the idol nervously, "Ruriko-chan?" she asked as she blinked in confusion, "Why? Didn't you say that you definitely won't give me a high score," she said and Ruriko sighed. Kyoko could still tell that she was annoyed. Maybe this was only a false stamp and Ruriko would quickly deduct the entire stamp giving her a zero.

Ruriko sat silently for a moment before her eyes rolled, "Hmph. This is because I see that you're so useless yet you put in your best effort so I'll give you the points. Out of sympathy."

Kyoko looked as if she had been told a secret about the universe that would continue to give her nightmares. So, this was true, Ruriko _was_ using that stamp for her. She paused as she looked away.

"What kind of an expression is that!" Ruriko said as Kyoko sat silently, staring off into the distance.

"No, nothing" she quickly replied. She had done this with a wish to get revenge and to show up Ruriko, it hadn't been anything to do with the feelings of wanting to be loved. She had wanted to snatch the acting role away from Ruriko and now Ruriko was giving her a stamp that would praise her whilst also saying she was useless. This was out of character for the person Kyoko expected. Ruriko leaned in, looking even angrier about thia.

"If you have something to say then say it!" she growled, "Looking at your expression makes me angry!"

Kyoko put a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing at her opponent. "What? Those things…I'll feel bad saying them in front of you," she said and Ruriko took another heavy inhale before growling and let it out. She couldn't keep eye contact with Kyoko.

"Listen up carefully!" she snapped as Kyoko turned her full attention to Ruriko. "I took advantage while you're gone, flattered the director, and snatched the chance to act. You must think I'm despicable, right?"

Kyoko paused. She had expected something like this of Ruriko. The chance to star opposite Ren was like a dream come true but it wasn't something meant for her. Only by truly superior acting and Ruriko not apologizing was she going to get her Cinderella moment. It must take a lot of money to switch actors so suddenly and Kyoko _had_ fainted. Still, the idea of Ruriko calling herself a despicable person wasn't what Kyoko wanted her to think. There had been many worse people in Kyoko's life and so she stared at Ruriko, compassion entering her heart.

"Why?" Kyoko asked with a soft smile and Ruriko blinked at her confused "I felt that it's taken for granted that I lost, after all, I lost consciousness in the middle of acting. No matter the reasons, a person who loses consciousness during a battle has no qualifications for survivorship. Just like honeybombs. This is the world of the animal kingdom! The weak hebivores will only have the fate of being eaten by lions."

Kyoko thought back on the interactions she had had with Corn. Somehow, just being opposite him was enough to catch the want to learn more about his acting style. He was so masterful and he had sacrificed so much. She didn't want to be one of those stupid girls who only cared about the romance scenes. She wanted to see the whole spectrum of his acting and be able to match up with him. She wanted his respect.

Ruriko looked at her and sighed, "This reasoning, I really agree with," she said and Kyoko smiled softly.

She didn't want to be led by a man anymore, she wanted an independent life with hope for herself and for her future projects. Although she would prefer for Corn to be the one to lead her over any other man, she still didn't know how to express herself. She wanted freedom and independence. Ruriko continued, "I see you as a little annoying now."

Kyoko smiled. With all of her history of being hated, it was nice that someone could actually see the true her. She didn't hate Ruriko-chan as much as she thought she would but maybe that was because she was acceptant of some sad things being present in her life.

Ruriko looked at her in horror before standing up and walked over to the door, "Shut up! I'm leaving first!" she announced.

Kyoko turned to look out at Ren with Yashiro and the director as they spoke. She saw his eyes and smiled but then looked down. Ren sighed. He had to try to seek an opportunity to tell her the truth and ask for forgiveness. He had really hurt her and he couldn't continue to do that. The lie had to come to an end as soon as possible.

 **End of Act 24**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Next chapter I plan on having Ren walking Kyoko back to the room and defending her from the press (because personally I really love when he does that) but Act 26 will have some new stuff. I'm moving the Angel stuff to later on so it's Moko and then finally the reveal to Bo and the aftermath.**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 23**

Guest, Kaname671, Kris XD, misherukuro, MWEH, paulagato


	26. Act 25 - The Lie But Not The Truth

**AN:** I'm not feeling quite right but I hope that you enjoy this. Health problems are like one-third better than last time.

 **Act Twenty-Five – The Lie but Not The Truth**

" _Mogami-san," Ren said as he saw Kyoko getting up slowly. His heart started to quicken in his chest and he put her arm around his waist so that he could help her walk. He led her over to a booth at the hotel's bar and ordered an iced tea for her as she sat across from him with an innocent expression on her face. Ren looked down and took steady breaths._

" _Now that we're here, Mogami-san," he said as Kyoko just watched him. "I truly have to apologize to you. I didn't mean to hurt you at all, that was never an intention of mine but it's time to be honest and I think that I have to tell you the truth. Please believe that I never intended to hurt you."_

" _What is it, Tsuruga-san?" she asked, "Please don't talk about your sec-"_

" _The fairy kingdom, to my knowledge, isn't a real place. Fairies don't exist or at least I don't believe that they exist," he said as Kyoko looked at him in shock. "I am still the young boy that you played with when you were six and I am still the person that you called Corn but I lied to you at that time and felt it was easier to help you now by letting you believe."_

" _How could you do this?" Kyoko asked with tears rolling down her cheeks. The waiter put a glass of ice tea in front of her and a glass of red wine in front of Ren. Ren sighed and Kyoko looked at the glass. "Then who are you?" she asked and Ren looked at her nervously._

" _I can't tell you here," he whispered, "It's a secret. I can't risk exposing my identity."_

" _Then you're a con man?" Kyoko asked firmly, she glared at him and stood up. "Tell me who you are right now. I know that Tsuruga Ren is a lie. If you're not a fairy prince then tell me who you are right now!" she demanded and Ren opened his mouth before closing, he repeated this action a few times._

" _I can't divulge that information, especially in a setting this public," he told her and Kyoko threw the iced tea in his face._

" _I'm going to the media," she said before storming away and Ren watched her go. What had just happened?_

…

…

Ren blinked up from the drink in his hand. He had ordered a scotch on the rocks to get his mind off of that day and he was now staring into it as if it were a cauldron designed to tell him his future. He took a deep breath in before looking up to see Yashiro standing by his side. "Ren, do you also want to go over and take a look to see how Kyoko-chan's photo shooting is going?" he asked and Ren sighed.

Of course he wanted to see what that looked like but he didn't know what to say to her. He wanted to be honest but it was hard to be honest when you couldn't honestly replace the lies with the truth. It would go from one lie being present to nothing. He wasn't ready to talk about why he was Ren if he wasn't a fairy and that was selfish of him but he had to figure out how much to give away, how much he could trust her with.

"Why should I go take a look?" Ren asked though he knew that Yashiro would know that he wanted to go and that he would want to see Kyoko happy. It was just something that came with being in love with somebody else. Ren didn't want to admit this love. He didn't want to hurt her.

"Nothing," Yashiro said slowly, "I heard that she is having a rather formal photo shooting. Moreover the hotel's photo studio has been asked to take the photos too," he said and Ren looked up at him. He wanted to tell Kyoko that she was beautiful and then lead it into an apology for the lies that he kept telling her. Luck didn't appear to be on his side though.

Then there was the feeling of complete rejection that scared him. "I'm not interested," he said as he took another sip of the drink. He had to distance himself from her. If he told her the truth and she called him an asshole then he didn't need to tell her his proper identity. What was she going to say about him that would hurt him? If she didn't know his real name then she had no power over him. It was heartless but sometimes you had to be a bit heartless to protect oneself.

"I, however do think that you care a lot when it comes to Kyoko-chan," Yashiro stated, "Like when you acted opposite her previously. You got serious that time, right?" Ren knew that Yashiro understood his feelings were more than friendship. They had to be for a girl like that. But love was forbidden in this life, holding important people was forbidden in this life.

Ren sighed, "This has nothing to do with the acting test. I admire her perseverance," he commented knowing that it was this same perseverance that he had to poke holes in. Well, he had to destroy her loyalty as well. He looked up at Yashiro who was judging him with his gaze. They both knew that there was love there but it was difficult to accept it. Yashiro didn't know why though.

As soon as Ren found that he could no longer go back to his thoughts, he heard people whispering about him. He kept hearing them gossiping about how he was a famous celebrity that they never thought would be here and that they wanted to say hello to him but were afraid to. Sometimes it really did bother him that he was famous despite his family legacy, a legacy that Kyoko shouldn't and couldn't know about.

He looked down at the now empty glass as he tried to focus on the fact that right now he and Kyoko were living together and she didn't despise him. When she found out the truth and that he wouldn't tell her the actual facts she would hate him. He would be made her number one enemy and he hadn't meant for this to happen.

He sighed, he'd been discovered. He was hoping that he could hide in the shadows and that nobody would see him but he had miscalculated and now he was exposed to the public. He paused as he listened to the girls again and tried to decide whether to go and see Kyoko or not. He wanted to spend as much time with her that he could before he owed her the truth about what he had been hiding from her.

…

…

Kyoko smiled so happily as she sat in her costume after the photo shoot. She had never really been treated like a rich and elegant lady before and now she felt that she could have one day of feeling special and beautiful. Maybe if she got even more famous, days like these wouldn't be so rare. Right now though, this was one day that she would treasure within her heart for quite some time. Her nerves were just coming to a calm stability and she smiled happily.

"So…so fun," she announced, "I'm nervous even now."

Kyoko kept her eyes closed as she imagined herself as a concubine of the French emperor who was sitting for a self-portrait. That was the level of care and professionalism that she had felt whilst she had been there. She wanted to make the director see her gratitude for what she had gone through. It didn't matter about her foot, she felt absolutely beautiful.

Seiji laughed weakly, "That's great," he told her and Kyoko continued to beam. "As long as you like it."

"Thank you, Director!" Kyoko said with such an innocent happiness in her face. It was as if times like these weren't something that she had the right to expect. "I was thinking that I got to dress up so beautifully and I might not get to do that again. Celebrate my first make-up experience. And I've kept wanting to leave a trace of this beautiful dream."

She clasped her hands together, her cheeks red with her blushing. She had never had an opportunity to have this kind of attention on her and the way that they had arranged it showed compassion and it showed that maybe she could be given this kind of love and affection. She continued to gaze at Seiji who now had his eyes closed, a bead of sweat descending the side of his neck.

"In the end, you actually suggested taking a picture to keep as a memory. Director Shinkai, you're such a nice person! I'm so fortunate!" she said as she felt like a princess, her heart beating in her chest with such joy. Besides, she was glad that Ren was able to see her looking like this. The women in the fairy kingdom must all be more beautiful than the best fashion models, Corn had been able to see that she could be turned into someone beautiful and she didn't feel like she was letting him down by being his friend.

"Erm, well, Kyoko-chan," Seiji said as he came closer to her and Kyoko stared at him confused, blinking at him. "Erm, with regards to the matter of the acting role this time, I really feel it's a pity."

Kyoko looked into Seiji's eyes, it was nice to be acknowledged for her work but she didn't want him to feel so bad for her. It was going to be like climbing up a mountain with only her bare hands if she, an unknown, wanted to snatch away the role. She wasn't delusional enough to think that fairy tales really were real. She tried to smile at the director, "Oh. It's nothing."

"Although it was decided that Ruriko-chan plays as the lead role but I don't feel, you're inferior compared to Ruriko-chan." Seiji didn't realize that by saying this, he had woken up one of Kyoko's grudges and the look on her face which had been so blissful at one point was now going into the area of looking rather pissed off. He continued to speak, "Compared to her you're," he turned to look at her and saw the way she was staring at him. Did she understand what had gone on? What kind of recovery attempts could he now do?

"Director," Kyoko said as she turned to look off in the distance and the look on her face wasn't of anger any longer but of determination. "I…truth be told, I feel very glad that I can lose to Ruriko-chan," she said and Seiji opened his mouth in shock.

Seiji glanced at her, he was bracing himself to hear something very mature that you don't hear every day. Kyoko was a rather unique person and he wanted her to try to be an actress because he wanted to see much more of her work. "Why?" he asked and Kyoko looked into the distance as if witnessing a sunset.

"Because I, even if I had continued, I would only hate more the me who walked into the trap set up by Tsuruga-san," she said and then thought about how Corn had used his magic to create that bond between them. She didn't want to be misled by anyone and she had to learn how to stand up for herself and create a new world where she could be happy to have a friend but she didn't put him in the same position as she had put Sho. That wouldn't be fair to him.

"I did actually perform accordingly to what the script had asked for, but…" Kyoko hesitated, she didn't want to admit it but the truth was already out, "that was due to Tsuruga-san's acting skills. An expression that came about because of real fright."

The director sighed and smiled knowingly. "Not only you," he told her and Kyoko took interest in this, "to the people who like him, that guy will make the other party truly like him. To the people who are afraid of him, he will make the other party fear him upon seeing him. Therefore, people who have acted opposite Ren, tend to react according to their true personality."

Kyoko looked forward as her head kept trying to tell her that she should stop Corn from doing that. That was one way that he would get exposed and he was using his super powers to do something that wasn't appropriate, taking advantage of other actors. It could be felt like coercion and she didn't want to believe Corn possible of coercion.

Kyoko looked up and was shocked as she saw Ren standing there staring at her whilst his manager also stood there. She tilted her head to the side and smiled. Maybe he just needed to learn more about what being a gentleman meant but she was very glad to see him. She watched as the director waved him over and laughed. The world making sure they met again was better than any makeup.

 **End of Act 25**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you reviewers of Act 24**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, misherukuro, MWEH, Paulagato

 **Author Response:**

I'm feeling a little better, thanks. I still have a way to go but I'm glad that I'm at least feeling well enough to have written three chapters of different fics today 😊 I think that there are going to be some hard feelings for these two. We all know they will become a couple but that's not going to happen for a while so please don't worry and use patience 😉


	27. Act 26 - At A Better Time

**AN:** I added my own scene onto this part 😊 Hope you like the addition

 **Act 26 – At a Better Time**

Ren made his way over to where Kyoko was sitting with the director and he saw her frown at him in disapproval. Did she know about the lies? He was expecting a bigger reaction from her but if this was her way of telling him that it was okay, he'd take it. No matter how long she frowned at him in disapproval, it was much better than losing her companionship.

As they looked at one another, the director pulled Ren away to the side and whispered to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Could I ask something of you?" he requested and Ren nodded. "I'm worried about certain people at the hotel, do you think you could take Kyoko-chan back to her room."

Ren took a nervous breath before nodding, at least this was an excuse to spend time with her. He didn't know what people were being discussed but he _did_ want to spend some time with her.

…..

…..

As they were walking down the hallway, Kyoko turned to Yashiro with a smile, her eyes sparkling and Ren tried to look away so that he wouldn't fall into the trap of having feelings for her. He wasn't allowed important people after what had happened in the past, what he had _caused_ to have happened.

"I feel bad," Kyoko told Yashiro, "I have to impose on you to go out of your way to escort me back to my room. Thank you very much. Yashiro-san is so nice," she said with a grin and Ren looked at her for a moment. Was she reacting this way because he had been lying to her? Was saying that he was only wanting to protect her going to do more harm than good in this particular situation?

"Erm," Yashiro said as he looked at Ren who seemed to be searching the hallway for something, "Not really, I'm just in charge of accompanying Ren." Yashiro tilted his head to the side and Kyoko paused. She was trying to act as if there were some kind of distance between herself and Ren so she didn't bring down his career but Yashiro knew the truth. She wondered if this was necessary but there were other people watching and Ren didn't seem to be speaking to her.

Had something happened that day which had caused their relationship to sour? He couldn't picture Ren being cruel or unkind to her but there did seem to be a weird tension. Yashiro paused, he wanted to change the subject so it felt less awkward being there.

"Er, well…oh, yeah, Kyoko-chan, at what age did you start learning the art of the tea ceremony?" he asked and the aura around Kyoko turned a little darker and she began grumbling to herself. Yashiro wasn't sure of what she was saying but there seemed a little more darkness in the area.

Little did he know that Kyoko was reflecting on her past with the Fuwa family. She was thinking about all of the training that she had received from Sho's parents. Since she was twelve-years-old she had been taught how to do many of the tasks that Shotaro's mother had. She froze. As she had been taught these things, she had been told about how these things would help her in the future. That meant that she was being prepped to be Shotaro's wife. She hadn't been in charge of her relationship at all, it had all been controlled by the Fuwas.

As Kyoko fell to the ground feeling like the earth would swallow her whole she didn't manager to hear the sounds around her. Ren however seemed to know what to do and he walked towards her. The past was haunting to her and he knew what it felt like when you wanted to rid yourself of your own history, shed it off as if a dead piece of skin. Kyoko continued to shiver as Ren came towards her and sank down so they were more at level.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, the concern and affection for her not hidden in his voice. He hated to see her brought back to painful memories and even if she would begin to hate him, he still wanted for her to be okay. He would always prioritize that when it came to her.

Kyoko continued to think back to all the things that she had achieved so far in her acting life and as short as it had been, everything she had used had come from her wanting to impress the Fuwas. That was a part of her life that she didn't want to repeat and that meant that she wasn't going to indulge in her feelings for Corn. She wasn't going to let Corn be her focus, she needed to work independently and not rely on anybody else otherwise all she would become is a human being with an empty shell.

Kyoko heard footsteps beside her but she wasn't able to acknowledge them due to the flood of self-doubt and doubt in her own abilities even as a human. She heard Ren shift focus though.

Ren glared at a man who approached them. He had his face hidden and was wearing a long coat, hat, sunglasses, and ordinary pants and shoes. He definitely was trying to become part of the background and Ren felt his protective instincts take charge. He looked at the man and his eyes became dark.

"I have a question to ask of her," he said and Ren felt his own dark aura surrounding the area. He wanted to protect his friend. She had always beheld him as an inspiration, a comfort, he didn't want to let anyone hurt her.

"We're currently," Ren said as his face became firm, his mouth turning into a straight line and his eyes challenging the other man with a burning fire in them, "busy."

The man turned away nervously. Ren's look was enough to scare anybody and Kyoko felt his protectiveness over her. He was loyal to his friends, right? That was all it was. Only two people knew that he was actually a fairy and this was his deep secret, to somebody who guarded his secret, he was going to be kind and affectionate. Ren reached forward a hand to her and Kyoko looked at him with a soft smile.

"Your leg is still hurting?" he asked her and Kyoko felt her heart beat at the way he spoke. He was so gentle. So giving. "Are you able to stand?" he continued and Kyoko nodded and let Ren help her up. She wanted to work hard so that she could be as good an actor as Corn was. Her taste buds had just been dampened and she wanted to be as happy as Corn seemed in his role as Ren Tsuruga. Plus, if she continued to act then she could work with him in the future.

Corn had developed his own skills and had cleared a road ahead of him that he could use to walk down in the future. Maybe finding her own passion could help her to do that. She wanted a happy life and more than anything she wanted to be herself.

As Ren brought her back to the makeup room where they were waiting to help bring her from Choko-san to Kyoko-chan, he stopped at the doorway and put a hand on her shoulder. He took a deep breath in and then looked down. "Mogami-san?" he asked and Kyoko looked up at him, holding her breath a little. "Could we talk tonight, I'd like to…we can get some dinner as friends," he said uneasily as he rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't really want to tell her the truth but it would be wrong not to.

Kyoko nodded and Ren gave her his room number before he and Yashiro said goodnight to her.

Kyoko watched his back as he left. She wondered what that was about and she hoped that he hadn't just asked her out on a date. Being a fairy prince, Corn didn't really know anything about human relationships. Kyoko was trying to figure out the meaning behind his words before one sentence broke into her mind.

"Kyoko-chan, come and remove your makeup."

…..

…..

Ren tried to stop pacing as he thought of various lines that might work when he told Kyoko the truth about him actually being an American and not a fairy. Well, he was an American but only half American with some Russian and Japanese thrown in and as unique as that was, he was _not_ a fairy prince. He took a deep breath as he sat down at the side of his bed.

He pushed a hand through his hair and then heard a knock on the door. He stood to answer it and saw Kyoko there, still relying on her crutches. He quickly held the door open for her, a troubled expression on his face.

"Take a seat," he gestured to the chairs. Kyoko walked over slowly and sat down.

"Corn," she grinned as he closed the door behind her, "You might not know this but it's not really seen as polite for a man to ask a woman to his room in the middle of the night. It's not respectable in Japanese society but because you're a fairy, I won't comment on it too much," she said and Ren looked at her.

"What if I wasn't a fairy?" he asked as he pulled out a seat opposite her, "What if I was human?"

"Well, I know that you're human now," Kyoko continued to smile as Ren looked around. Should he offer her a cold beverage, cup of water, iced tea? "But you have a fairy upbringing so you are given a little bit more leniency than if you had a human upbringing."

Ren laughed nervously, "And what if I told you that I _did_ have a human upbringing?"

"I think that you should know better on the rules of social engagements," she smiled as if this was a hypothetical situation. Ren opened his mouth to argue with her but what she said next made him pause. "You know, as strange as today was, I think it was a really really good day for me."

Ren stopped as he looked at her. His eyes widened for a moment before he looked down. If this was a good day for her then the last thing he wanted to do was ruin it and telling her the truth right now would probably lead her to a lot of heartache. He watched her sadly before smiling.

"I'm glad," he said as he abandoned the idea of telling her the truth that night. "I'm happy that you were able to enjoy acting even if it meant that you did get hurt. Do you think that you'd want to continue acting?" he asked her, "there are some courses at LME at the training center."

"I think so," Kyoko grinned, "A chance to make a new me, just like you did."

Ren nodded before going to make them some tea. He didn't want to argue with her and spoil this day for her. He would tell her soon but obviously right now it wasn't the right time. He took a deep breath in before looking at the kettle as he heated the water. He'd just have to pick a better moment to tell her.

…

…..

The next morning Kyoko approached the director as he was having his breakfast. She felt refreshed by the conversation that she had had with Corn in his hotel room and relieved that nobody knew that the two of them were there together. Now it was her turn to head back to Tokyo. She saw Seiji's surprised expression and she tried to smile professionally.

"Really, you're heading back today?" he asked her and Kyoko kept a professional expression on her face.

"Yeah, Ruriko-chan has also given me a stamp," she announced and Seiji nodded slowly. Kyoko had more to do for her job at Daruma-ya and she didn't want to leave them shorthanded when they were paying her and had given her a job. "Thank you for all the care and concern I've received from everyone," she told him and Seiji paused.

"Don't say this," he laughed, "We should be the ones thanking you." Kyoko looked at him puzzled and Seiji laughed, "Ah, nothing at all," he told her attempting to brush it off. Kyoko smiled at him confused before giving a half bow, relying on the crutch to keep her balance.

"Then I'll take my leave now," she said before smiling. As she walked down the hallway, she saw Ren and Yashiro approaching her and smiled. She looked at Ren before blushing slightly, "Thank you for last night," she said. Yashiro nodded believing that it was because he and Ren had taken her home.

"It's nothing," Yashiro told her and Ren looked at her concerned.

"Oh yeah, is your leg better?" he asked and Kyoko blinked confused.

Yashiro stared at her before tilting his head to the side, "Ah, while sending you back to your room, you suddenly knelt down on the ground and was unable to move. I was thinking that you couldn't tolerate the pain any longer. Ren and I were really worried," he explained and Kyoko shook her head before laughing.

"Both of you were mistaken," she told him, "That was because of the tea ceremony which reminded me of a man whom I hate to the core," she told them before seeing Ren's frown. He really didn't like when she brought up Shotaro and she really hadn't meant to bring about bad feelings between the two of them. She looked at him apologetically. Hopefully someday she would forget him, at least Corn was starting to make that easier for her as well.

"So," Ren asked leaning forwards, "You worked so hard for your little revenge?"

Kyoko nodded and saw a gentleman's smile appear on Corn's face. Maybe she shouldn't have told him that, it was definitely not the whole truth but she wasn't ready to tell him that she wanted to impress him.

 **End of Act 26**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 25**

Kaname671, KrisXD, misherukuro, paulagato, The Real Jackie-O, TracesofFreedom,

 **Author Response**

I'm glad that you guys like and support this story so much. As for when certain events occur, I'm basing it on the manga so there will be a while between the total forgiveness for the lie and the lie reveal. Also, he will tell her his proper name but it's going to come to a particular point so everything is kind of based around the manga.


	28. Act 27 - Kanae Kotonami

**AN:** First of all Happy New Year, may you all have good luck with your new year resolutions. Secondly, this chapter is a little shorter than I want to aim for but I liked the ending point. Also, I'm going to try to only update my other fics three times a month this year but to do it in bulk. I hope that you all continue to support me and the fics that you enjoy 😊

 **Act 27 – Kanae Kotonami**

Ren looked out of the window sadly as he awoke the next morning. He had loved being able to work opposite Kyoko but the window of time when it was still acceptable to tell her that he had lied to her was drawing to a close, soon it would be even more unacceptable that he was carrying around this hurtful lie. He didn't want to tell Yashiro because that would expose a weakness in the friendship that he and Kyoko shared.

He had to carry these feelings alone and despite how much she would most likely hate him, he had to sacrifice their friendship in order to continue his dream and return to his parents. "I am so sorry," he whispered as he bowed his head.

He had wanted another friend but it was dangerous to keep people close to him and he knew what could happen were they too close. He took a look aside and remembered Kyoko's smiling face. He wanted her to be happy and to find her true self. He just wasn't the right person to guide her to do that.

…

…

Kyoko sighed as she looked at the pictures that she had put up in the bedroom after Ren had told her that it was okay. One was a picture of Ren that she had put good luck charms around and then there was a picture of Shotaro that she had put bad luck charms around. To the untrained eye both looked very similar with one of the major differences being the colors of the items. Kyoko hoped that Ren wouldn't see these things. Corn might not understand black magic as all Kyoko had was an immature idea of what kind of magic existed in the world. Still, she could explain it to him, right?

Kyoko looked at the picture of Shotaro and her eyes narrowed as she felt the anger fill her chest, "The ability to smile so haughtily will soon be gone," she said as she growled at the picture that she had put up of him. She didn't want for him to exert his power over her. It was important that she kept her ground.

She looked up with an eager face. Corn was going to help her, he was so much better than Shotaro and so she would never say these words against him but she could use as much help as he was willing to give to her. She looked at the poster of Shotaro, "The next time I'll make you see my excellent acting performance! Until then, I'll use my acting skills to play around with you and also smash your dream of being a superstar."

She took deep breaths before turning to the picture of Ren. She hoped that Corn would be okay. She didn't know how much he had come to learn about the human world and it was very important that he keep his smile and his magic even if he couldn't use his magic. She didn't want anything bad to come to him.

The words that he had tried to say previously repeated in her head but she refused to accept them. She went over to a shelf where she had a good luck and good health doll of Ren that she had made and a voodoo doll of Shotaro. Again, other than the thread and items inside they looked very similar.

She studied the picture of Ren as she held the doll in her hands. If he were human would she care? Well, he had made a sacrifice to become human but if he had always been human. He was a kind person, generous and caring and he hadn't done anything bad to her. He had allowed her to live in his apartment, had given her a cell phone, had arranged for her school to be taken care of. Well, if he had always been a human and not a fairy then maybe it would work but she wanted an explanation of who he was. If he was unable to do that then she couldn't trust him and if she ever lost trust in him she might not be able to forgive him.

Still, first of all she had to destroy Shotaro and make sure that only his parents cared about him. That was what was most important for her day. Ren wouldn't be back and so she couldn't listen to him. Her attention had to be on her plans for revenge.

…

…

One amazing thing about being close to Corn had been that he had his ways of making her want to become a better person. He could motivate her in a way that nobody else could and she was thankful that she could be his friend. He had made her see that maybe if she worked hard to be an actress that she could find a world for herself that she enjoyed and that she could see herself in a new light. That was important to her.

She had picked up one of the brochures on the acting classes in LME. It was an amazing agency and so they must have amazing classes. As she used her crutch to support her weight, she looked through the book.

"LME actually has a remedial class like this?" she asked as she saw something that would be perfect for her. "It's divided into Tokyo daytime section and night time sections. One year equals four hours, three times a week. It's Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday Saturday with no age limit." She continued to read aloud despite knowing that saying this might draw people's attention towards her. She was just excited and wanted to be able to swallow all of this information.

"Voice practice, classical ballet, dancing, Japanese dance, martial arts, action courses, training arrangements," she hummed. Had Corn gone through a class like this? Corn always seemed to be able to do everything with grace and amazing precision and ability. He must know all of these things and maybe he even knew all of them without being enrolled in a class. She could understand that he would be able to because of his magic.

"The goal of the training is to enable the highest standard of acting performance no matter the location and preset it to the audience."

Kyoko's eyes snapped open. This was an amazing opportunity. She would be able to both work to impress Corn and work to take her revenge on Shotaro. By committing herself to such a thing she would have all the abilities that she needed to be the best star in Japan. She could start with the basics and create a version of herself who was able to compete against Corn. That would be more than fun, it would be like a gift.

Her eyes then caught hold of some of the negatives about this class. "However, I think I still have to sit for exams to get into this training class, interview practice acting. What is practice acting? Actual acting in from of them?" She sighed feeling that she was a novice and so this class didn't actually make a lot of sense. She was still trying to discover acting and hone her skills. She hadn't made it through the auditions because she was still new but she wanted to learn. This seemed impossible.

"In the end I'm tested on my acting for the exams. Isn't this a contradiction? How could I possibly act out a performance that will be satisfactory to the judges. This couldn't be purposely looking for trouble?" She growled feeling angrier as she read this. She was a beginner and wanted to take a course where she could _learn_ about acting. She wasn't ready to just give up but she didn't know how she could pass an audition without more acting experience.

She froze as she saw something even uglier. She couldn't believe it and she would feel too guilty to ask Ren for help. Corn was already providing her with so much and there was no chance of her making this type of money from the Darumaya.

Although there were no exam feeds, the school entrance fee was 120,000 yen and the tuition was another 360,000 yen. In American dollars that came out to about four and a half thousand dollars. It was much too hefty a price for someone of her ability to have to deal with. She scanned the page again.

"This clearly states there is no age limit," she said feeling a little dizzy and she didn't think it was her ankle that was causing her to feel these emotions, "but to swindle 480,000 yen out of me, one who relies on their friend to go to high school and is a pitiful minor? That's a little too greedy."

She scowled at the page before announcing in a loud voice. "Seriously! Enemy of the commoner, totally unforgiveable." She paused as she heard an echo of her voice and blinked to look to the side. She froze as she saw the girl from the auditions. She had won against her, hadn't she? Kyoko stared at her. She was talented enough to win and people had said that she was the judges' favorite but if that was the case why was she reading through the same brochure.

"Ah, it's you," she said in shock as she pointed at the brunette and then saw the girl have a shocked expression of her own. Of course, that girl had thought that she would fail with absolutely no talent. She most definitely hadn't been expecting her to pop up here.

"Why did you show up here at LME!" the girl said angrily and Kyoko felt herself growl as the girl obviously looked at her with contempt. "Explain it clearly," she demanded and Kyoko's eyes widened, her face turned pale. This girl didn't think much of her. If she told her the truth then the girl would laugh on the floor and she would feel even more embarrassed.

Kyoko looked ahead of her as if she were stuck in a traumatic experience, "That…that is," she said nervously before looking at the same booklet that the girl was holding. Why would she need something like that if she had already been accepted by the agency? Wouldn't they have explained everything, set her up with a manager?

Kyoko slowed her breathing, "Anyway, didn't you pass the second round and you should have joined LME acting division earlier on. So how come you're holding this now?" she asked and the girl looked at her as if Kyoko had exposed a gigantic weakness.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she held tight to the brochure, "Th-This is…to not understand fully the office one belongs to is a very embarrassing thing," she tried to explain.

Kyoko paused as she watched her. It didn't seem that that was the real reason but that reason did make some amount of sense. This girl was someone who would want to learn everything she could, she also had the ability to memorize things with the skill of a photographic memory.

As Kyoko stood with the girl she heard a voice from behind them and saw Matsushima-san from the acting department approaching them. He had a wide smile over his face and was extra energetic today. He came over to them quickly and Kyoko saw the other girl feel a little bit on edge.

"Ah! Kotonami-san!" he called after her, "After yesterday's section explanatory meeting, I saw you leave with a look of unhappiness and I was worried that you won't be coming, but it's a good thing you came. It's really great," he told her and Kyoko looked between them curiously. Why would this girl decline to be part of the acting section? Obviously she was talented but wouldn't she just follow her dreams. "Because you're very talented, I believe that as long as you can overcome this stumbling block, you can debut very fast. Work hard!"

Kyoko blinked hard and then the world seemed to slow down as Matsushima-san placed a hand on Kotonami-san's shoulder. "From today onwards," he announced, "You're a member of the Love Me section."

Kyoko's eyes widened as she looked ahead of her. She couldn't believe this.

What was happening?

 **End of Act 27**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 26**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, misherukuro, MWEH, paulagato,

 **Author Response**

I'm glad that you guys enjoyed the added scene. Sadly it's not going to come easy to the two of them but she will forgive him eventually. Thank you for all of your support.


	29. Act 28 - Family Drama

**Act Twenty Eight – Family Drama**

Kyoko stared in front of her still not fully understanding the situation that was going on in front of her. This girl, Kanae Kotonami, had been a favorite of the judges and she had great potential but now she was on her level. When it came to talent this didn't make any sense. This woman had the power to audition and be accepted into the acting classes and prove that she was bigger and better than any of them so why was she looking at the same brochure with the same reaction.

She turned to Kanae who was holding her head in agony and Kyoko could relate to this, this had been her reaction to.

"Love-Me…argh, change the name for goodness sake," she moaned.

Matsushima nodded, he understood the agony at being part of this group. Dropping his head, he sighed and then replied, "Only this part, I'm afraid, I can't help with that because this is the interest of the President." Kyoko nodded along with that. She had had the same feelings when the name was involved but she could now say it, definitely not with pride but she could admit to that being the name that they had chosen to use.

Kyoko looked between the two of them once again and this time tried to focus on ridding herself of this confusion. If Kotonami-san was as talented as she was, was there a reason as to why she was put in this group. "I still don't understand," she admitted, "during the first round, the words she said on the phone, didn't she have a great reaction? I don't think she is lacking in love for or from others."

She watched Kotonami-san fall even deeper into her depression. Matsushima turned to Kyoko sadly. "This is because after she successfully passed the second round, the people auditioning were asked to read a script meant for the acting section. It was only given to those pursuing acting because it was on managing to understand a script. The contestants were questioned on how they understood the love of the family and the feelings that Kotonami portrayed was of foolishness and false happiness. It was devastating to me to see someone who was my front runner be so jaded about the love of family," Matsushima explained and Kyoko nodded.

She could imagine the same tragic expression on the president's face as when she had broken the phone. Despite her heart not being broken by a man, this girl had problems in her own family that had caused her to act with the same kind of recklessness that Kyoko had. There must have been some painful issues for her.

"In addition," Matsushima continued, "During the first reaction test, she said that she 'acts because she wants to be an actress' and from those words, you can tell that there isn't even one percent of emotion in her but it was very hard for us to ignore her talent so it's been decided to let her join Love Me section and let her cultivate her inner feelings."

Kyoko felt in shock that such a person who could give an amazing reaction to that false phone call would also lack in the elements needed to gain love. It was hard for Kyoko to grasp that there were others who struggled with that same acceptance of love and that she wasn't alone any longer. Despite this girl disliking her, Kyoko wanted to bond with her. They were prisoners of the same section.

Kyoko moved towards Kotonami-san who had fallen onto the floor in despair. She got down beside her, being careful of her injury and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry," she told her trying to seem calm and gentle, "Love Me section, although just the sound of it is embarrassing. However, as long as you bear with it, it won't turn out to be that bad," she tried to assure the brunette and heard Kotonami growl at her.

"What the heck do you know?" she asked as if she were some wild animal who could tear off Kyoko's face. Kyoko withdrew, trying to act like she did when there was a violent customer or someone who had a bit of an edge who had come into the ryokan. She looked like a sales woman who was attempting to convince her opponent to join a cult or buy an unwanted product. "Don't think that just because it doesn't affect you, you can talk about it so easily."

"Love Me section is a very good department," Kyoko said as she looked a little brainwashed. "It's very fun. You can get to expand your connections in the industry and a lot of other advantages."

Kanae stared at her feeling that this woman was trying to drag her into some kind of cult as a ritual sacrifice. She looked unnatural and strange. Were people like this the members of such a stupid sounding group? "You, why do you wish me to join Love Me section?" she asked but just the look on Kyoko's face caused fear and anxiety for Kanae.

Kanae stood up, trying to break free of Kyoko's clutches. "I think I better return to the training class and start over again," she tried to rise dramatically but it was much harder this time. She felt as if somehow she had been trapped in a cage and she took a look to the floor where Kyoko was desperately clutching onto her as if nothing else mattered.

"Hey!" Kanae yelled as she tried to get Kyoko to leave her leg but the chestnut haired girl was far too stubborn for that. "Let go of me! Just the title, "Love Me Section" makes me lose my appetite. I don't want to be on the same standard and in the same department with an idiot like you! I want to find a different high standard department that can change me into a fresh and bright star!"

Kanae tried to walk away but it was a struggle and she wound up dragging Kyoko on the floor. "Let me go!" she yelled, drawing more attention to the two of them. What was this girl's problem? Why was she like this? Kanae suddenly felt as if it wasn't only her leg that was being held down but something gross was attaching to her whole body. What the heck was the power that this girl had. It definitely seemed abnormal, super natural even. She couldn't move.

"No way," Kyoko laughed as Kanae felt even more afraid by this situation. Kyoko looked up with a dark look in her eyes, something that told Kanae that Kyoko had definitely caught her as "her prey". "You can't escape," she announced and Kanae felt her stomach plummet. Somehow she had been caught.

The atmosphere around the two of them became even darker, so dark in fact that Kanae felt as if she were cast in some horror movie. She felt as if snakes had wrapped around her skin and were feasting on her. How could she have slipped out of reality in such a manner. "I want you also to wear the Love Me Section uniform together with me."

There was a tense shift as if the area around them had dropped in the temperature. This was going to be a nightmare for Kanae Kotonami and Kyoko wasn't going to let her go so easily.

…

…

Kyoko had gone to the Daruma-ya after she had finished her work at the agency that night. She had brought her Love Me uniform as well as her work uniform but had forgotten her other clothes. That meant that she had to return to the apartment wearing the bright pink outfit. She hoped that Ren wouldn't be too angry at her.

She should have been home earlier. Corn had asked her to make him food and to do housework and instead all that she had was left overs from the Darumaya. They had been good enough for Shotaro but she had wanted to make Corn feel that he was special. Would this be enough to make him feel special?

She looked around as she entered the apartment and caught him sitting on the sofa looking over a script with a troubled expression on his face. Was he having difficulty with his new role? She saw that he had his phone just beside him. Had he been expecting a call?

He got up and put a bookmark into the script before approaching her. "Hi," he said as she smiled weakly, "How was your day? You're getting home a little later today."

"I'm sorry," Kyoko whispered and Ren tilted his head to the side, "I went to work at the restaurant and they asked me to stay a few hours later as one of the servers called out for their shift. I really enjoy working there but I feel that I should have been here." She saw his confusion and then held up the bag with the soup in it as well as a few pieces of chicken cutlet. "I managed to bring this back for you."

Ren grinned and went to take the bag from his hands, he gave a princely smile and Kyoko could hear her heartbeat pounding in her chest. "Thank you," he told her as she felt faint just looking at him. "Your uniform, I think I'm getting used to it. You look cute in it," he told her and Kyoko stared at him unable to move or speak.

"You shouldn't say that to somebody, Corn," she said and he looked at her surprised. "They'll think that you are teasing them. I know you mean well but the words from a fairy can't carry the same weight since you are unaccustomed to human fashion."

"I'm not trying to be rude," Ren replied as he looked at the uniform. "It really has grown on me," he said and Kyoko stopped herself from saying that she felt that it had grown on her too, well not so much grown on her but it was weaving its way into her body, causing for it to become like a second skin to her. She froze as she looked at him with a weak smile before she smiled.

"They've had a new girl join the Love Me section," she told him and Ren tilted his head to the side with a soft hum. "This means that I'm not alone any longer. She had some difficulty with the uniform, I mean, I don't really like it but this means that there are other people who have difficulty with feeling love."

"I think it's a learning process that everyone has to go through," Ren replied. His eye twitched a little and he sighed. It was time to renew his contact lenses and he really hated to do so because it meant revealing a little bit of the inner him. "I'll be right back," he told her and Kyoko nodded.

She went to her bedroom to change into something that wouldn't make her feel as self-conscious as wearing this uniform. She looked at her reflection. She needed to stop the words that were forming in her head. She didn't want to dress in anything special to impress Corn because they weren't meant to be together and that thought made her feel sad. Corn was a fairy prince, he was attractive and intelligent and kind and talented and he would have no use for a human who fell in love with him. She felt a tear appear in her eyes and she shook her head. It would be ridiculous to fall for him so easily.

She got dressed into pajamas, hoping that he wouldn't mind and when she came out, she was stopped short and fell silent. As Corn looked towards her she could stare into those piercing emerald eyes that always looked so magical to her. She didn't know what to say. If he had his blond hair then words wouldn't be able to describe how gorgeous he truly was.

"My eyes felt a little dry, I'll put new contacts in in the morning," he explained and Kyoko shook her head. She found it a little strange how a fairy prince would have to use contacts to conceal his eyes color but maybe magic couldn't change eye color. She smiled at him and then thought about Kanae. She had had trouble with her family and maybe Corn had difficulty speaking to his parents as well.

"Corn," she whispered and he hummed, "Your mother and father," she said and then saw a look of pain on his face, he tried to hide it quickly but she knew that there was difficulty there. "I'm sorry, I never really asked you about them before and…"

"They don't want the son that disappointed them," he told her and Kyoko walked over to him before wrapping her arms around him. Had they been disappointed by the fact that he had left the fairy kingdom. She closed her eyes and felt him shake as if it brought up painful memories to them. "They don't love me, they don't want me as their son. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so weak about this but people tend not to ask."

"I'm sure that they love you," Kyoko told him, "Even though you're human. I'm sure that they love you," she said and Corn drew away from her. We went to look at the food that she had brought back for him. He opened the lid as she watched him carefully.

"It looks delicious," he told her and Kyoko nodded. She shouldn't have asked him about his parents, she wouldn't make that mistake again.

 **End of Act Twenty Eight**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act Twenty Seven**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, misherukuro, MWEH,

 **Author Response**

I'm actually omitting the acting test, I have another way of Kyoko being influenced to act and of her bonding with Maria so I added the last scene. The next scene is the beginning of Bo and Bo vs. Sho. Glad that people enjoyed the last chapter though 3


	30. Act 29 - TBM Job Assignment

**Act 29 – TBM Job Assignment**

As Kyoko was walking down the hallway of LME, trying to figure out a way to tell Corn that though she appreciated his offer to pay for high school, she would have to try to find some other way to do it or find out if there was a debt she could pay to someone. High school was expensive and Corn had already given her a lot.

It was amazing how close their ties were. She would have never gone to Tokyo if it wasn't for Shotaro and if she had never gone to Tokyo then she wouldn't have been ditched by Shotaro. If she had never been ditched by Shotaro, she wouldn't have been led back to Corn. It was long and complicated but their relationship was made even more special because of it.

As she tried to think of the best way of telling Corn, she heard a voice call out from behind her. "Mogami-san!"

Kyoko turned and saw Sawara-san there, she bowed politely to him.

"It's a good thing that I caught you when I did," Sawara-san told her and Kyoko blinked confused. "How is it going with Kotonami-san?" he asked and Kyoko felt a chill in the air. She wasn't making much progress with the second love me member despite now having an open heart to her. If they were supposed to be teammates then they had to work with one another.

"Right," Sawara-san said as he looked off into the distance, "Maybe, but, hmm…" he said as he started to think of something before Kyoko had even answered his first question. "Well," he continued to tell her, "It could be fine. You might learn something from it," he said before smiling widely and Kyoko still tilted her head to the side. She felt rather confused about this but then Sawara stopped talking to himself and she was put on alert even more.

"Mogami-san, if you have nothing going on today, would you like to take part in a television job?" he asked her and Kyoko blinked. She only had a tiny bit of acting experience and if you count that she was relying on others it really wasn't much at all, next to nothing. Right now Sawara-san was asking her to do an acting role. Well, she wanted to do it but was it okay since she wasn't an actress.

She was definitely interested at least.

…..

…..

Kyoko rushed into the back room area where Kanae had been relaxing and smiled happily. This was something to bond over. An acting job was what they both would want as Love Me members so how could Kotonami-san not be thrilled about the offer. "News!" Kyoko yelled loudly, "News! Big News! Kanae-chan!"

Kanae looked at her as if she were some insignificant flea as a dark aura clouded over her. She growled whilst feeling startled as she glared at Kyoko who felt a little embarrassed that she had yelled that. "Kanae?" the brunette asked, "Did you just call me Kanae!? Don't speak to me so intimately," she continued and Kyoko paused and rubbed the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry," she laugh softly, "I wanted to try it once because I never had a single female friend," she said as she thought back on all the bullying that she had experienced during her life. She had been told that she was a fly and had various things taken from her. She didn't have a happy childhood. All of this was because she had been close to Shotaro. If it wasn't for him then maybe she would have made some friends of her own.

Kanae looked at Kyoko as the grudges seemed to pull out and the aura was a scary black one. Kanae wanted this darkness to stop and so, without realizing what she was doing, she snapped at the other girl. "Mo. The big news you mentioned! What is it?" she asked and Kyoko seemed to come back to life as the scary atmosphere disappeared.

"Moko-san," Kyoko smiled as she latched onto the word that the brunette had commonly said since they had met, "You finally decided to talk to me! I'm so happy! Love Me Section is back" she said with a huge smile and Kanae stared at her in horror. She had let her guard down and now Kyoko was going to attack her with this sentiment that they should be close friends and comrades. She didn't want to experience that with _her_.

…

…

Ren looked around nervously. His manager had accidentally killed his cell phone without meaning to which was the first disaster but now that he had the script that he would be performing in just under two hours, he felt nervous. He didn't want to admit to not knowing things that the director had said and he couldn't find a cell phone that didn't come with strings attached to it.

He felt lost. There weren't many times he had felt lost whilst in Japan but he felt completely uneasy right now. Taking a deep breath in he decided to just focus on the problem in front of him. There would soon be a break and maybe he could find somebody who wouldn't judge him for this or he was missing something in the script that would give him the answer.

He sighed and Yashiro approached him.

"Don't tell me that sigh has to do with Kyoko," he told his client and Ren shook his head with a gentleman's smile on his face which told Yashiro that something wasn't quite right but he couldn't put his finger on it. "You know, you are acting a little immature when it comes to her," he said and Ren turned to him in shock.

"Immature?" he asked, trying to make sure that that was the word that Yashiro had used.

"Either consider dating her or focus on your friendship," he said and Ren shook his head, bowing it. "Well, if it's not to do with Kyoko then I hope you find the answer soon," he tried to encourage Ren. "If it's too hard, come to me for help."

Ren nodded. He would feel embarrassed now to be asking what that word meant, especially since there were so many people around who could overhear him.

…..

…..

Kanae looked around as she had a clenched jaw and a look that was begging for the earth to swallow her up. She and Kyoko were in the audience for some interview show that was airing their first episode. They weren't going to make an impression if all they were doing was clapping and laughing. She looked at Kyoko who had a simple smile on her face as if she were actually enjoying such a mundane routine.

"The big news you mentioned, this is it?" she asked and Kyoko smiled before nodding. This was a way to get experience right, they were at a TV station and maybe somebody would notice them. They both clapped their hands as the signal was given.

"But this is also a job for the TV station, right?" Kyoko said innocently, "and can be taken as an experiment for going on TV, Sawara-san said so. Plus," Kyoko said eagerly as she lifted her finger as if she had had a brilliant bright idea, "We can take this chance to debut"

Kanae rolled her eyes looking extremely pissed off, "How can we debut if we're just audience members in the airing of a new variety show. I don't even know if we can attract any attention. Did they really need us to come?" she said and as Kyoko looked around, the same question was on her own mind.

"That's true," she said wondering why Sawara-san had assigned them this task when there were already enough people in the audience. People also seemed incredibly restless so it must be a huge star that they had for the first interview. Ren had already told her that he would be filming a drama that night and Kyoko hadn't told him that she'd be here so it wasn't him but it was somebody who was important enough in the acting world.

Kyoko blinked as she saw a well dressed man approaching them.

"Hey! Excuse me, you two!" he said and both Kanae and Kyoko looked at him, trying to figure out who he was and where he had come from. Was there more to the job other than clapping and cheering? "I heard from Sawara-san that there were people from LME who came to watch the show – did he mean the two of you?" he asked nervously and Kyoko nodded not sure what had led to this man becoming so flustered.

"I am Bridge Rock's Manager," he said as he held out a card to them showing that he was employed by LME to be the manager to the band. So, he was an important person after all but he seemed so worried. Had something happened to the group? "Well, the job I'm asking you to do is what I explained but Bridge Rock is hosting for the first time so they're worried. You know that the first episode is a live broadcast right?" he asked and Kyoko nodded as she followed along, she saw Kanae start to study him as if looking for something that Kyoko couldn't quite see. Well, Kanae was a professional after all.

"At the last second," the man continued, "one of our regulars decided he couldn't make it. He had a small scene to appear in and that's why we're in trouble now," he tried to explain and Kanae stood up, her back perfectly straight as she looked at the man with maturity and determination which greatly impressed Kyoko.

"I understand," she told him and Kyoko looked at her impressed, "We accept the job."

"Moko-san?" Kyoko asked as she gasped. She would have never had the guts to just accept an offer like that but Kanae had done it with ease. She was a match that Kyoko was going to have to work even harder to match up to.

The man smiled in relief, "Oh, you're willing to appear on air?" he asked and Kyoko continued to stare at the other Love Me member in amazement. They hadn't had scripts or time to prepare, well, Moko didn't really have to look at a script for very long to get into her role.

"Leave it to us," Kanae said, the confidence showing in her facial expression as well as body language. "This is what we specialize in because the most important thing is our mission. We have to make the audience – no, the people in this world – love our work because we are members of LME's Love Me Section."

Kyoko was almost knocked back by the pride that Moko had had when she had said those words. She was impressive and wasn't treating this as a joke. Even Kyoko was blown away as if she had been watching a drama where Moko had said that she would protect someone with all of her heart and energy. She truly was meant to be an actress.

"You're really trustworthy," the manager smiled happily, "You're the kind of people whom the president has his eyes on"

Moko nodded as she closed her eyes, "Of course," she told him passionately and the manager gestured for the two of them to follow him. Kyoko was beyond excited to see this transformation. Moko could debut easily and that meant that maybe Kyoko could as well.

"Then please begin the preparations at once," the manager said, "This way," he led them down the hallway and Kyoko had to hurry to keep up with Moko's long and elegant strides. "If you do well this time, you could become a regular member of the show."

…..

…..

Kyoko froze in the dressing room as she was put into the mascot suit and the wardrobe department was attempting to get her ready on time. She couldn't quite understand how this had gone from Moko accepting the assignment to her being the one who was going to act on the program.

Why was she being dressed as a rooster?

 **End of Act 29**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 28**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, musherukuro, The Real Jackie-O

 **Author Response**

Since there will be some trouble between Kyoko and Ren causing for Kyoko to start living at the Daruma-ya, the parental issues (apart from between Maria and Kyoko) will be kept until the Dark Moon arc but little foreshadowing on that.


	31. Act 30 - The Rooster

**AN:** This chapter and next chapter will be very by the book. I didn't want to leave the chapters out but there's not much I want to change but I still hope you enjoy.

Also, I have a new fic that I'm a little excited about so if you have time I'd appreciate you checking it out. Title is: It's Sho Time For Kuon

 **Act 30 – The Rooster**

Kyoko froze as the world seemed to cloud in around her with a creepy and dark energy. This wasn't how she had expected her life to go and she was trying hard to focus on the positives. She felt the color draw from her face and one question remained on her mind.

Why was she in a chicken suit?

"Eh?" she asked panicked before she turned to Kanae who had accepted the job assignment that Kyoko was now stuck doing. "Why did it turn out like this!?" she panicked, "aren't you the one they requested?" she begged of Kanae but Kanae stood firm with her arms crossed over her chest. This showed that there was not going to be a way of Kyoko making her put on this chicken suit.

"What are you talking about?" Kanae asked as she raised her chin acting superior over Kyoko. "I'm an actress! How can I do a job like this? Isn't this your forte? You said you were going to be an entertainer."

Kyoko felt as if the world wanted to swallow her whole only to regurgitate her. There seemed to be imaginary walls closing in and she stared in horror at Kanae. "When did I say that? If it's like that, you shouldn't have agreed from the start. How mean"

"Oh, then would you have accepted this job?" Kanae snorted back which left Kyoko speechless. The manager kept trying to tell them that it didn't matter which one of them did the job, it was a gap that needed to be filled. Kyoko looked around and saw that Kanae wouldn't switch places with her for anything and this was the first time that Kyoko would be going out onto a stage.

"But," she panicked, "But this is live! I can't fail! I can't finish a script like you can in fifteen seconds," Kyoko said as she started flapping her wings. She could hear people say that the show was about to start recording and she didn't like it. She wasn't ready to be this chicken. She wanted for there to be more preparation time to become this 'Bo'.

"Don't worry," Kanae said with more disinterest than concern, "Didn't you hear that there aren't any lines? Your job is to welcome the guests and the hosts plus a small feature. If anyone talks to you just reply with a cute gesture!" she called out.

Kyoko felt herself trapped underneath a large rooster head as she was rushed onto the set. A cute gesture? What did that mean? What kind of gesture was considered a _cute_ gesture? "This can't be happening!" she yelled out though it was muffled underneath the head. "I don't want to appear like this!"

Kyoko was led out to the set where she could see the show starting. She had tried to be friends with Moko and now that girl had trapped her in a rooster shoot about to appear on a TV show. She felt pain within her chest. She didn't want for people to know this was her first role, her first TV show appearance. Hopefully people would forget about her and she wouldn't appear her again. Still, she shouldn't burn bridges and she had to live within the jobs she received as a Love Me member. That meant that she had to try to become the rooster.

"Good evening everyone!" the Ishibashi guys said loudly, "Totally Wild Rock has finally started broadcast! This is our first time hosting so we're quite nervous!"

Kyoko could hear the screams as she sat in the middle of the stage and saw the way girls were screaming and shouting. For some reason they all seemed to become one person, all looking the same with the same smile and hope in their eyes, something that Kyoko wasn't very fond of. No. She had to look on the positive of everything, maybe without realizing it her heart and body had become that of a roosters.

Kyoko wasn't really listening as the Ishibashi group spoke again, "To commemorate this first episode, we have a special guest. Fuwa Sho!"

Kyoko felt her eyes widen despite wearing a head and she felt faint. No! No no no. Shotaro couldn't see her like this. This was an embarrassing role to have and she didn't like the idea of being so close to him. No. Corn was good to be near but Shotaro, she didn't want to get close to Shotaro. She whipped around and started screaming internally as she saw Sho standing there. So he did look glittery and glamorous and like a total asshole who had ruined her life and stopped her from attending school.

She turned to look back at the fans who were now holding up pictures of Sho, words like 'crazy for you' and 'love' and his name. No. This was a nightmare. Couldn't someone save her from this nightmare!?

…..

…..

Behind the set, Kyoko was raging with her grudges flying everywhere. She had become completely possessed because of her grudge for Sho. She wasn't going to let this chance get away from her, she wasn't going to just allow Shotaro to evade her. She scowled coldly as she walked along in what some people might call a dance of insanity. She felt haunted and dark and she didn't want for Ren to ever know about this type of her.

She didn't want him to figure out it was her but then as she thought about it, her being dressed this way made things a little bit easier for her. As long as she was dressed as Bo, Shotaro would never figure out that she was inside of the chicken. Suddenly not being seen was working out very well for her. She could use the power of anonymity to settle the score with him.

Kyoko took a look at the back to see what kind of props there were available to her. There were some footballs, croquet hammers, pool cues, some miner helmets, a heavy baseball bat…a lot of things to wet her appetite but she knew that she couldn't do anything risky that would mess up her own future. She was looking through the boxes before she found the perfect weapon.

When she had been younger, she and Sho had played badminton all of the time. It was the one and only thing that she would beat him at every time. He had always been cocky and popular and she was constantly losing to him, not that she ever showed that she cared but she hadn't been able to really prove that she was good at something until now. As she thought back on that so-called 'precious memory' she could see Shotaro in a different light. He was always hot-headed, selfish, and egotistical. He loved showing off and though they only played for fun, he would always blame her when he lost. He was always really angry at her and really arrogant and had treated her like dirt when she thought the world of him.

"Hey, Bo" a stage hand said as he approached Kyoko, "Can you go and hand these to Bridge?" he asked and Kyoko could feel a tense aura in the room. Had something spoiled the atmosphere in here and made it gloomy. She looked at the basket of eggs that the man was holding.

"What are these eggs for?" Kyoko asked as she took the basket that he was holding.

The man smiled, this was a question that he could work with. "These eggs contain either questions from the audience or what the next segment of the show will be," he tried to explain before everything felt even more threatening and though the outfit of Bo hadn't changed, the rooster now appeared to be smiling evilly.

"That sounds…interesting," she said slowly which gave the stage hand pause. It felt like something really bad was about to happen.

…

…

Kyoko smiled as she walked onto the set holding the 'mystery eggs' in the basket. The suit made heavy and squeaky footsteps but inside the costume, Kyoko was eagerly awaiting how she would take Shotaro down. She eyed Sho cautiously.

"That's right!" Hikaru said with a weak smile, "Isn't this your first appearance on a variety show since you became a singer?"

Kyoko paused. She knew the truth when it came to Shotaro and variety shows and how they were his kryptonite. It was okay for people to be on variety shows or like variety shows, Ren had told her that. Ren had taught her that when somebody was famous, they could always spin a story and the audience would appreciate not being lied to. That was far far more mature than what Shotaro did.

"Yeah," Sho said and Hikaru nodded.

"Do you like to watch them?" he asked and Kyoko wished that she could tell him that he had stepped onto a landmine which was going to blow up.

"No. Not at all," Sho said still trying to preserve his 'image', "I don't watch much television," he stated and Kyoko looked at the girls who were foolishly enchanted by him and deceived by his lies. They seemed to be looking at him as if he was a god and Kyoko was regretting the fact that maybe she had once looked at this guy in that same way.

She felt angry because she knew that he was still trying to do whatever he could possible do to look cool. Whenever she came home from work, she'd always find him watching variety shows on repeat and rolling on the floor laughing. She wanted to destroy his image and change everyone's impression of him. He would be the cool guy no longer and he wouldn't ever be able to put up a false front again.

She could do even more than destroy his image, she could cause for his smooth sailing career to become nothing but ruins. It would be history and she would rejoice in the fall of Sho Fuwa. It would make her revenge plans excel and right now that was what she wanted. That was all that she wanted.

She heard Hikaru take an egg and break it open. He eagerly looked towards the camera, "This is a question for Sho from an audience member," he told everyone and Kyoko looked at him wondering what kind of question he'd ask, which of those unlucky eggs got the privilege of being the first egg?

"I heard through the grapevine that Fuwa-kun's true name is something unique," Hikaru said with a smile and Kyoko laughed as she studied Shotaro. He looked shocked which caused her to leer at him with an unseen smile of satisfaction. She saw the fear enter his face as he was set to confront one of his most painful secrets. "So can you please tell me what it is?"

Kyoko could see the fear on his face and she was enjoying watching it. Before the show ended tonight, she would end his career in the entertainment industry. This was her shot to take him down. She smiled waiting for him to shatter his own image and could hear the expectant voices in the crowd.

Sho stayed still, he was obviously wrestling inside and Kyoko could count that as another win.

Sho suddenly breathed out, he looked tranquil and peaceful and the definition of cool as he replied. "I'm sorry but I can't tell you because as part of the price of joining the entertainment world I had to throw away my past. Someday, somewhere, when I finally decide to use my real name, that will be the day I leave the entertainment industry and when I'll say goodbye to my identity as "Fuwa Sho" forever."

Kyoko froze. With the studio spotlights on him, he seemed almost magical as he said that and although it did piss her off she would have been just as entranced as the audience was not that long ago.

Sho looked very happy with himself and Kyoko couldn't stand that. He had somehow managed to increase his popularity and appear the ultimate cool. His image could even be said to have improved _because_ of her. That was _not_ what she wanted. She had to make another move, she couldn't let him win. She couldn't let him experience happiness.

As another egg was opened, Kyoko smiled.

Badminton. It would all come down to badminton.

 **End of Act 30  
Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 29**

H-Nala, Kaname671, KrisXD, misherukuro, paulagato

 **Author Response:**

Sho battle will be in next chapter and then half of the next part is different and then huge difference in aftermath. I don't think I ever mentioned anything about Ren telling Bo that he loves Kyoko but I'm really sorry if I misled anyone into thinking that


	32. Act 31 - Rabid Rooster

**AN:** Thank you guys with your patience with this chapter. I'm going to aim for some longer chapters. Last week was my first week back at school after the winter break so I had to focus on my work. In addition to that, my cat got sick and had to be checked over by the vet. She seems to be doing okay right now but she may have had a kitty stroke Hopefully I'll be able to work on my other fics next week.

 **Act 31: Rabid Rooster**

Kyoko smiled maybe a little too joyously as she heard the next question being read. Despite being under a rooster costume, she had to keep her cool and focus on taking Shotaro down, there was too much room for error. She looked over at Hikaru as he took a look at the next question, seemingly a little confused.

"I heard through the grapevine that Fuwa Sho joined the badminton club in junior high."

Kyoko looked at Sho seeing a slight but somewhat unnoticeable panic in his eyes. She knew the history of Sho and badminton. She knew that he was having trouble with his aim and the angle of degree that he wanted the birdie to fly. She would trounce him at this. He would never be able to pick the pieces of his shattered ego off of the floor.

"I really want to see Fuwa play," Hikaru commented as he still looked at the egg confused. He hadn't practiced this and he had wanted the show to go off without a hitch. Sudden improvisation wasn't the way to do that, "but I guess we're need rackets and a birdie."

Kyoko grinned as she pulled the items out from behind her back. She saw Hikaru sweat a little but this wasn't really about him. This was about her taking revenge on Shotaro. She held the badminton rackets in front of her as everyone reacted to her with a shared silence. She would make him cry all night, that was the goal that she wanted to achieve.

"What's up?" Shiniichi asked as he stood to get a closer look at the scene, this wasn't supposed to be happening and he was worried about HIkaru holding it together on his own. "Does Bo want to play with him?" he asked as there was a dark aura swarming around the mascot. Kyoko gave a definite nod.

"Oh, right" Hikaru continued with a weak laugh. "I forgot to mention there's a penalty. The loser has to howl like a beast and circle around three times on all fours howling."

There was a shared murmur and gloom within the crowd and Hikaru kept laughing nervously as he held the pieces of paper in his hand. He didn't know what to do. Had this been some plan that his manager had had in the last minute. Had he gone crazy?

Kyoko however was too lost in her own mind. She knew that Shotaro had a good chance of losing. She knew that the show was being aired on national television and that it was being aired live. She would hear Shotaro howl as would the rest of Japan. It would show his pathetic side. His childish side. She wouldn't have to work so hard in order to take her revenge if she shattered his pride tonight. His howl would echo throughout Japan.

As she smacked the birdie at high speed, she was taken aback as Sho managed to return it with a determined expression on his face. He hadn't been able to do that before. She had thought that only with one strike she would cut him down but it wasn't working in the way that she had expected that it would. He had always lost as a child and now she would have to work even harder. She charged at the birdie before hitting it back, still focusing on the high speed.

Despite the heaviness in the costume, she had to keep going and keep moving. She couldn't afford to lose. She had risked her own job and taken a huge gamble on this and it wasn't working. She didn't know why it wasn't working. She smacked the birdie back a number of times.

For an instant Kyoko could see that she was improving his image unless she got him to howl. The way that he gracefully and elegantly jumped into the air to master the hits was annoying her. It was almost as if the stupid blond believed that he was at a modelling shoot. This night wasn't supposed to increase his popularity.

The idiot girls in the crowd were going wild over this. They should be calling him stupid and pathetic but they were looking at him with their gaga eyes and she needed this to end. She couldn't believe there were so many in the position which she had once been. They needed to be freed from their disillusions.

Kyoko only had one card to play in her bag, she had developed a special move as a kid, a final kill because Sho had said he wanted something hard. Well, she had never lost when she used this move. It was one that he hated the most and she could see the shock on his face as she jumped up and hit the birdie at an angle that would strike down on him just as if it was a katana that she was using to strike down the man himself.

It was her final attack. A move that only she knew.

Sho was frozen as he stared at her, it was as if he had figured this whole thing out but that didn't matter. It didn't matter if he knew that she was taking her revenge or not. She grinned underneath the suit before despair flooded her. The birdie had gotten stuck in the ceiling.

"It's over!" Hikaru announced and Sho blinked out of his trance, "We have a winner. This match is Bo's loss."

Kyoko crashed onto the ground. Once again she had lost to Shotaro. She never wanted to lose to Shotaro. This wasn't fair. She had been taken down because she had gotten too cocky and over confident. She hadn't completed her task and now she would have to devise another plan to show Japan his foolish and prideful and pathetic nature.

"Bo," Yuusei said as he patted Kyoko on the shoulder, "Please howl for us when the show ends."

The world started to close in as a commercial break was called. Kyoko needed to get a new plan ready, a new way to humiliate him. A commercial break would give her the necessary time that she needed to come up with such a plan.

…..

…

This wasn't supposed to happen. This was _not_ supposed to happen. The show wasn't supposed to be proceeding as if nothing happened and Shotaro's popularity wasn't supposed to grow. He was supposed to be acting ashamed of all his faults and he shouldn't have fans screaming about him. This wasn't the result that she had been looking for at all.

The producer of the show was irate when it came to her. She had taken things too far by trying to take control and now that she was being scolded for it, she was finding that she was sadly being pulled into the reality of what was happening. She had messed up. She didn't want to be scolded but it had been too easy with Shotaro right in front of her.

"Listen up!" the producer snapped at her, "Since there isn't another substitute, I have no choice but to let you play Bo, but if you ever pull another stunt like this, I'll make sure you never set foot in this TV station again even if you become a major celebrity."

Kyoko could feel her gut twist as she was reprimanded. She bowed her head, a rush of feelings flowing through her, "Yes, sir. I'm very sorry," she apologized. She should have thought more clearly. Her career hadn't even stated and it was already in danger. She was faced with falling off the edge of a cliff and the risk hadn't paid off. It was all his fault. Everything bad in her life had come down to Shotaro. All she could see was the anger towards Shotaro. It wasn't fair.

…

…

The next part of the program was an interview between Bride Rock and Shotaro and it was her job to serve him tea. She had to serve the vain Shotaro tea as if she were his maid again. She loathed having to do this but she was controlled by what the producer had said. She was so close to Shotaro and she couldn't use physically violence against someone that she despised with her whole heart.

As she focused more on the scene, she saw that Shotaro was constantly staring at her. Kyoko wasn't sure why _that_ was happening. He wasn't paying attention to the interview but rather he was staring at _her_. This shouldn't be the position that she was in. She was supposed to be a lowly mascot, not the focus of Shotaro's attention.

Before she realized it, Sho had leapt up and was trying to pull the head of the costume off. This was assault right? Even though Sho was famous, this could be considered an assault of a fellow cast member. That was illegal. Why was Shotaro doing something illegal?

Shiniichi looked at the scene with confusion, "What are you doing, Fuwa-kun?" he asked and Sho continued to look at Kyoko.

"Nothing," he told them, "I was just wondering if this rooster is played by a man or a woman."

That wasn't the type of thing that you needed to announce on a live show. Maybe he was angry because she had messed around with him but this was none of his business who was behind the mask and he couldn't expose her on live TV. This wasn't fair. Did she really have to put up with this type of wrong thinking? He was famous, sure, but didn't the simple rules of being a human being apply to him?

Kyoko pecked him, losing her temper as he tried to touch her and expose her. Maybe _this_ would be considered assault, but _he_ was the one who had started it. _He_ was the reason that it was happening. She just needed to stay away from him so that he didn't ruin her plan to take revenge.

Somehow during all of that pecking, Shotaro managed to clutch the beak between his hands and Kyoko was trapped. He could whip it off at any moment and she would be a laughing stock throughout all of Japan. It wasn't just this TV station that wouldn't hire her, she would never get started as an actress and nobody would ever give her a chance to prove herself.

Shotaro leaned into her, she could almost smell his breath through the suit, almost feel the warmth of it, that disgustingly nauseating warmth. "Hey," he said as he looked at her with a challenging expression. "Why are you trying so hard to stop me? Are you perhaps someone I know from home?"

Kyoko's eyes widened from behind the suit. Had the dimwitted Shotaro been able to figure it out? How could she have thought that he wouldn't. She hadn't been thinking and for him to expose her on live TV would be a disaster. He didn't have any right to ruin her life more than he already had.

Kyoko felt startled and afraid as Sho attempted to rip the head off of her costume, "Is it possible that you're Yosuke?" There was one tug to the ground and the worry that was circling around and around in Kyoko's mind was that the head was going to come off. "Or maybe Kazuki!?"

Kyoko felt her panic rise even more in her chest. She'd rather die than let Shotaro know it was her in front of the whole audience. He would feel justified in feeling superior to her and she would be ruined. Her plan was to ruin his reputation, not to feel that she herself would have her life further wrecked.

She tripped as she attempted to keep her balance and fell on top of Shotaro. She heard people gasp, wondering if Shotaro had hurt himself. She didn't care about him. He was the one who had attacked her. As Kyoko managed to get over the shock of falling down, she put a wing to her face. The head was still on. Thank goodness the head was still attached. It was then she realized that she was atop Shotaro in a more X-rate intimate position but she couldn't get up. The costume was hard to move around in and she couldn't get up.

Sho looked at her with pity in his eyes, "Damn, I'd must rather be pushed down by a sexy woman with a nice body. Sorry but, you're not my type."

Shotaro pushed her back and his hand rested atop her breasts. Kyoko felt fear and pain rush through her. He shouldn't be allowed to touch her there. He had already told her that she was a plain and boring woman with no sex appeal, he had made it beyond obvious that he wasn't attracted to her. If this was the case, why was he keeping his hand here?

"Huh?" he said with a grin, "What's this? I feel something," he said and Kyoko felt as if the fear was dripping off of her body like a strange, ice cold sweat. "Ah, could they be breasts?" he asked with a cocky smile. He looked at her with a superior expression and laughed, "I guess that means you're a woman? Sorry about that," he smirked, "I thought only guys dressed up in these costumes. For a woman to do this kind of work, she must be really ugly."

Kyoko couldn't help the rage that was flowing through her body. He had insulted her on national TV and he had sexually assaulted her. He was acting so casually about it as well. She wanted to destroy him, she wanted to see him plummet down into hell. Kyoko felt herself experience maximum rage as darkness swirled around her. She was at her highest level of ferocity as if an android programmed only to murder Shotaro Fuwa.

She would murder him. She would slaughter him in front of everyone. She would make sure that no trace of him remained. Shotaro Fuwa must die.

…

…

Before Kyoko realized it she was trapped. She wasn't only trapped by the actions that she wasn't able to take back but she was literally caged and deemed a "rabid rooster". She had hit rock bottom, right? This was the end of the short-lived showbiz career.

The produced pointed a finger at her, the anger showing throughout his whole body. "You're through!" he said with more anger than Kyoko had imagined, "That was the last straw!"

"What? No way!" Kyoko protested as she stared at him. This was unfair. Compared to the sexual assault that Shotaro had made, she hadn't done anything wrong, "but why?" she asked nervously and the producer continued to yell at her.

"You interrupted the program and almost ruined the show, not only once but twice! Luckily, we were showing videos when you attacked him so it wasn't on TV but everyone in the studio saw it! How in the world could you attack and choke a guest!? And why did it have to be Fuwa Shou!? Your behavior is unacceptable!"

Kyoko grabbed the bars as she internally flinched, she hadn't expected for him to get so angry at her. She had just been attempting to do her job and it was because of Shotaro that she had had to defend herself. Kyoko truly believed that even if he had undressed her, the producer would have blamed her for it.

"But," Kyoko protested, "he tried to take off my headpiece."

As the producer glared at her in deep-rooted anger, Kyoko realized that he didn't care about her or whatever she said. "Enough! The schedule is already off since you added the badminton match in the first half without our permission! We can't skip Fuwa's live performance so we'll cancel the whole section with Bo at the end of the program! I don't need you anymore! Go home!" he ordered her.

Kyoko felt faint. She had been hurt and mocked and embarrassed on TV but none of this was considered Sho's fault. As human beings they should be ranked equally but was this because he was a celebrity. Was this the kind of life that Corn enjoyed as well? No. Corn wasn't like this, he would never hurt anyone like this, fairies and humans were different and she was seeing that even more tonight.

"Why am I the only one who's in trouble!? I had nothing to do with the second half," Kyoko attempted to defend herself but before she had realized it the producer had walked away. Her words didn't matter. Her defense didn't matter. "He started it and everyone knows it" Kyoko fell down feeling the pain rush through her. "I haven't even had my debut yet but I'm the only one getting punished! It isn't fair. I'm so pissed."

Kyoko looked down at the floor, she felt as if she was being kicked in the gut but as she looked at the light that gleamed over Shotaro, the painful truth sunk in even more.

These were the rules when it came to show business. Shotaro was a star with songs that always topped the charts. Kyoko was just an amateur with no connections. She didn't want to feel this way any longer and so she would have to climb to the top, she would have to reach his level.

She had to get to that glorious spot.

 **End of Act 31**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 30**

H-Nala, Kaname671, KrisXD, misherukuro, MWEH, paulagato

 **Thank you for all the support everyone and also thank you again for all your patience**


	33. Act 32 - A Disingenuous Smile

**AN:** I was thinking of making this longer but I liked the part I reached at the end. Next chapter will be where Kyoko listens to Ren's truth. I'm also updating it a day earlier, it usually would be on the odd number day.

 **Act 32 – A Disingenuous Smile**

Kyoko felt that she had no choice but to mope about how much this had sucked. She had lost herself to a drive and motivation to take revenge on Shotaro and it was that same problem that had caused for her to be alone and told that she had limited areas to grow as an actress.

Each time she heard the squeak of her rooster foot she had it brought to her heart how painful this experience was and what it felt like to fail.

Thanks to Shotaro, she was banned from the TV station forever. She had been handed a great opportunity and because of her stubbornness, she had just blown it. Not only had she lost in her career but she had had had her breasts grabbed in front of everyone and he had made fun of her looks on multiple occasions. It was a bitter defeat and that was something that Kyoko really didn't want to feel at that point. She didn't want to feel defeat.

She ran into a wall scolding herself for being an idiot. She had been taken aback when she had seen him in that glorious light and even feelings similar to her younger self had emerged. She had dared to think that Shotaro was attractive. That was wrong. She should have never done that. She was such an idiot. She was almost asking for her punishment. She felt herself crash into the wall again.

Maybe this would knock some sense into her.

After a lot of crashing about and scolding herself there was a new problem on Kyoko's mind. It was one that she hadn't realized had been a problem until it was too late. She was totally and completely lost. She had been worked up and not watching where she was going and now found herself in an unfamiliar location. This was Shotaro's fault as well. She had thought that she should be punished but was this it? Was this the result of that wish?

She lifted her head and froze as she saw Ren sitting there. Yes. It was definitely a punishment.

If she approached him whilst he was sitting alone and told him what she had done would he be disappointed with her actions? She had messed up his happy place, the world that he had sacrificed so much to belong in. As someone raised by royalty, Corn would feel sorry for her but would this cause problems in their friendship. She didn't want Corn to know about these childish antics. She wanted him to be happy and impressed by her. She didn't want to jeopardize that.

Ren most likely had some pull with the station and maybe even with the producer. He could say something like she should be let into the studio or he would never appear on an interview again but that would be harming his work. Corn was a fairy so he didn't understand how risky that move was. If only he knew some spell to turn back time but he had sacrificed his magic when he had become Ren.

She didn't want to be a burden on him again.

She would just sneak away before he had time to see her, she would talk to him back at their home and she would never ever let her know that she had done something so reckless and stupid. If Ren became involved in this then it would be blown out of proportion and a huge burden for him. She turned but then felt her stomach twist.

Corn didn't look good. He looked depressed and sad and lonely as if something had gone wrong for him. He had always listened to her sadness and maybe presenting herself as a stranger would help him. He'd at least be able to vent to her in a way that he might not be able to do with the real Kyoko. Something was wrong and Kyoko wanted to know what it was.

Ren was always so calm and confident and it was a side of him that she found herself unwillingly attracted to but he was soft now and he seemed to be in trouble. He was her very good friend, she couldn't just leave him in his misery.

…..

…..

Ren sighed, there were two major problems on his mind this night. First, it was the fact that his cellphone had been damaged and he couldn't find anyone who would lend him theirs without strings attached, he only wanted to look something up that he didn't understand and he didn't want to appear like a foreigner if it was something that everyone knew. Then there was the fact that he still hadn't found the right time to tell Kyoko that he wasn't really a fairy. He was human. He had been born human, raised human, he didn't even really believe in fairies.

As he sat there, sinking deeper into his depression he heard a loud squeak from the side and saw the rooster walking away. That must be a character from one of the shows here. Maybe this rooster would be able to help him with his problems. He stood up, approaching the costumed actor with a weak smile on his face.

"Hey, wait" he called out, startling Kyoko who was still trying to figure out how to interact with him. He saw the rooster jump and took a deep inhale. "Can I talk to your for a minute?" he asked and Kyoko froze. He was acknowledging a rooster. Was she supposed to tell Corn that there weren't giant talking roosters in the human world? Wait, did that mean that in the fairy kingdom, animals _could_ talk?

"Oh," Ren said nervously, he looked at her concerned before sighing, his chest falling as he tried to settle himself down. He hadn't meant to cause problems for the mascot's actor. "I didn't mean to scare you. Sorry, I know it's rude of me to trouble you when we don't even know each other but you're the only person I can ask right now."

Kyoko froze. He had said person, right? So he knew that she was inside the suit? Well, of course he didn't know it was her but he knew that it was a person inside of the costume and that there wasn't a rooster just walking around the agency. He looked a bit timid and withdrawn and Corn deserved to smile. He had given her a lot and helped her with many things both in their childhood and in their adulthood and she owed him for this. She wanted to see him excited and happy and loving his life.

"If you don't mind," he began and Kyoko imagined his innocence as a childhood, "can you help me, please?"

"O…kay," Kyoko said slowly as she tried to disguise her voice so he wouldn't be burdened by what had happened with the talk show.

"Can you do me a favor?" Ren asked as he faced Kyoko straight on. He looked at her expectantly. In Ren's mind, this rooster was wearing a costume but the actor inside probably had pockets. He was wandering around so he probably had a cell phone and his valuables. He might have needed them were the show to start earlier than it was originally planned.

Kyoko looked at him steadily, "Sure, if it's possible."

"I need a cellphone, can you lend me yours?" Ren asked and Kyoko could see the hope sparkling in his eyes. She felt terrible. First of all, she didn't have her valuables with her, they were still in the dressing room for the show but also, if she had pulled out her cellphone then it would have risked Ren knowing it was her and for this to become more trouble for him instead of help. She knew that she would help him if she could but she really didn't have it on her.

"Sorry," she said as she still used the character voice, "I don't have a cellphone."

Ren felt his stomach lurch and the depression weighed heavily on his shoulders. There was sharp pain throughout his body as if he had been called on to do a presentation without knowing the subject matter. He felt it was the end of the world. He would be seen as having a weakness and maybe if it was something common, they would call him stupid or even know that he didn't really belong in this country.

Kyoko studied him, he was definitely depressed. Something had happened that had led to him feeling it was the end of the world and she had no opportunity to help him. Why did he need a cellphone that badly anyway?

"Excuse me, but" Kyoko took a step forward, "doesn't your managed have one?" she asked him. It was something that Ren must have thought of before but maybe Corn had a special phone number that would expose him as a fairy. No, he wouldn't just make a call to the fairy world from a stranger's phone.

Ren sighed and bowed his head, "He does but it broke for some unknown reason and is currently being repaired," he said with such honesty that Kyoko had to believe in that strange comment, "I borrowed his spare but that one broke too. I've already asked six other people but I can't risk asking anyone else on set."

Kyoko felt her heart breaking even more as she looked at him. He was desperate and Corn wasn't supposed to be in pain or fear like this. Corn needed to have a perfect world to live in, he was a prince after all. "Excuse me," she said hoping that there was another way to help him. "Why do you need to borrow a cell phone so bad?"

Ren took another weak breath in. He knew that asking would lead to questions and he didn't want to show his weakness. He had done so much to keep his life secure, he needed for this to continue going smoothly.

Kyoko looked at the script that Ren had next to him. Maybe it was something to do with the script. She had seen that when Ren looked over a script, sometimes he would use the dictionary feature if he was unsure of a phrase or how to pronounce something that he didn't know. Was he embarrassed because he might not be seen as smart enough by the other actors. She hadn't believed that he would be that self-conscious.

"Could it be you don't understand something in the script, so you're trying to look it up?" she asked and Ren looked up at her. He had that false smile on his face and she felt nervous as he replied to her.

"Of course not. It's nothing as stupid as that," he said with his refreshing smile and Kyoko felt a little taken aback. He definitely looked like he was hiding something. This must be what Corn believed people looked like instead of fairies and it was wrong. He was being overly nice and formal, he should just try and deceive people in a regular manner or not deceive them at all.

"But," Kyoko said as she studied Ren wanting to know what was wrong, "It's a matter of principle for celebrities to deny things like that even when they're true right?" she said and noticing how startled Ren was, Kyoko knew that she was right. She pointed a wing at him, "But its useless, no matter what you say, I won't be fooled. There are words in the script that you don't understand. I'm right, aren't I, Tsuruga-kun," she said.

Kyoko was trying to keep herself together as she imagined a cop show in which she was working. Even if it was a problem like this, she could attempt to offer her help. Ren stared at her and Kyoko wanted to look proud at how she had made him admit to needing some help.

"I already said that you were wrong," Ren said nervously. This rooster was one persistent bird.

"You intend to use your smile to conceal the truth," she said as she looked down upon him – it was easier to do when he was sitting – "you might be able to fool all of Japan with that sweet smile of yours but not me because I know the more radiantly you smile at someone, the more cautious that person must be. Your smile is like a mirror that reflects the opposite of your true feelings. Whenever you want to fool someone or say something mean, you smile at that person instead. So when your heart becomes darker, your smile actually becomes brighter."

Kyoko paused from her speech and her eyes widened. It was as if her own heart had turned into a taiko drum. This wasn't the look of anyone who should be associated with the fairy kingdom, this was the anti-fairy and it scared Kyoko. In her mind, it was as if she were facing the anti-Corn. He was pissed off and she hadn't meant to do that. Why would she want for her friend to be upset?

Ren was trying to hide his anger at a rooster being able to figure him out. He had never been told his faults like this before, he knew of them but nobody else was supposed to do so. He didn't know how to voice his anger at not just the rooster for figuring this out but himself for not hiding it well enough.

"How did you know?" he asked her with his eyes challenging her again and Kyoko was terrified to say that she actually knew it because of their relationship, because _she_ was Kyoko. He had become really scary and she was scared of what might happen if he looked at her that way when she was Kyoko. She fell to the ground and put her wings on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she apologized and Ren blinked at her in confusion. He hadn't been expecting _that_ kind of a response. It was comical really to see the rooster so panicked, whoever was inside of the costume must not realize how this looked coming from a giant rooster. That was the comedic touch of the scene after all.

Ren looked up at her with a childlike expression on his face and Kyoko was reminded of the early Corn. "Pardon me," he laughed before sighing as he attempted to regain his composure, "but that was quite an apology. You really don't know what you looked like," he said and Kyoko froze. She was happy that she had been able to cheer him up.

"Um, you're not mad anymore?" she asked hesitantly and Ren looked at her.

"Mad?" he asked confused with a strong smile that caused Kyoko's heart to pound, "Why? Didn't you just apologize? And quite passionately too. I don't see any reason to stay mad at you especially when you apologized so sincerely." He told her and Kyoko relaxed. This was just the way that Corn treated everyone, it felt like him. He must have come across all types of people during this stay on Earth and coming as a complete foreigner, he would have had to try to understand others and show empathy and compassion. "Besides," Ren sighed, "It was partly my fault since I tried to hide the truth."

Ren leaned back and continued to look at the rooster, it was nice talking to someone other than Yashiro and Kyoko in such a friendly manner, maybe one day he could have friends again. He sighed, "never mind since you already found out…"

Kyoko fell downward into her spiral of questions of what Corn had been through during this human transition. Things like this you would mostly learn by the bad experiences like the experience of Shotaro hurting her. Perhaps she should apologize again, beg him to make her human and beg him to think of her as more than a bird. She had to gain his forgiveness!

 **End of Act 32**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to reviewers of Act 31**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, PaulaGato


	34. Act 33 - A Little Too Real

AN: So I've decided to continue but one thing that made me a little annoyed was that there were people who cared more about my emotional and psychological health (love you guys) but there were others who didn't care and wanted a continuation. So, even though more people want me to continue this against my emotional wishes, than will consider reviewing this chapter, here you go.

Anyway, better continue with the chapter then.

 **Act Thirty-Three – A Little Too Real**

After some time, the two of them were sitting down and Kyoko was looking at the script quite confused. Something on this page was making Corn uneasy but she wasn't sure what it was. Corn had spent a number of years on Earth already and so he should have picked up the Japanese language. Of course, Bo wasn't supposed to know that Corn was a fairy prince or she would give herself away.

"So, you came here to shoot a film, but when you arrived the director told you they had made some changes and suddenly handed you this script?" she asked just to get clarification on the situation. She wasn't sure what the problem was. She just knew that it was bothering Corn and she really didn't like that idea.

"Yes," Ren sighed as he looked at the rooster. He was feeling quite embarrassed about such a problem given his status in Japan.

Kyoko hummed before taking another look at the script, "So?" she asked still a little confused about why Corn needed help – no, why Ren needed help. "What part are you confused about? I don't understand why you're having trouble."

Ren sighed and bowed his head, "That's what I figured," he told the rooster. "That's why I didn't want to ask anyone. For this dance to be included in the script, it must be something that 80% of the population knows?"

Kyoko took another look at the script. There wasn't a dance written down in the script? Was Corn able to see something with his fairy powers that she couldn't see for herself. Did fairies have a different form of reading that earthlings weren't aware of. She wouldn't be surprised. The fairy kingdom was such a magical place after all.

Ren continued and Kyoko tried to mask her confusion out of respect. "I didn't want anyone to know that I had no idea what it meant, so I tried to find out on my own but unfortunately…I forgot my cell phone."

Kyoko sighed. She wanted to help him but she wasn't able to read in the same fashion that the fairy royals did. She didn't think that she would be of any help to him. She would have wanted to do something to aid him but he was seeing a dance in the script and…was Corn using the word dance correctly? Maybe the fairy kingdom used a different language entirely and he was talking about the movement of the words on the page. Did he mean flow instead of dance?

"So," Kyoko said slowly, hearing Ren sigh as she asked this. "What part don't you understand?"

Ren sighed again before tapping the script and Kyoko stared at it. There was only one word that she thought he would have trouble with, given that Corn was a very intelligent fairy prince.

"Tentekomai?" she asked confused and Ren nodded.

"I have to respond to this line with 'That must have been tough'" he said and Ren looked ahead of him. Kyoko hated seeing the shame fall over his features and she wanted to help. It made sense that Corn would have difficulty with this word but she would have to figure out how to hide her character. "I have no idea what kind of dance this 'tentekomai' really is. I honestly have no clue."

Ren sighed, he could see the way that the rooster was looking at him and wondered if he was being judged by the person inside. He didn't want to feel that he was looking bad in his choice of acting. He sighed before deciding to continue explaining his problem, "If it's a dance with wild moves, then my line should express surprise. If it's a rhythmic dance, my line should express a sense of fun. So, my acting depends on the meaning of this dance. As long as I have no idea what this dance is about. I'll never be able to say my lines properly. So can you help me?"

When he looked at her with his expression turning softer Kyoko had to hold herself from laughing at how adorable he seemed. He was four years older than her and yet his face looked so full of innocence. It was strange seeing him in such a condition.

"What is tentekomai, what kind of dance is it?" Ren asked and somehow the rooster broke down into laughter. Was he really this foolish as to ask for help? Of course help came with a side order of judgement.

…..

…..

After a lot of laughter, Kyoko looked up to see Yashiro standing there with a very relieved expression on his face.

"Oh, Ren, there you are. I don't have a cell phone right now, so can you please stop running off without telling me?" he said and Ren smiled softly.

"Sorry, I wanted to be alone to rehearse my lines," he apologized and Kyoko couldn't hold back her laughter again despite how flustered he was and how much it annoyed him. Yashiro turned to Bo, "Who's this? A friend of yours?" he asked and Ren didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to keep friends in this country, actually he didn't really want the concept of friends in his life apart from Kyoko and that had been a friendship made before everything turned dark.

"You don't have to laugh that much," he scolded as Kyoko waved her wing in apology. "It's embarrassing."

"It's not really something that most people would get confused about," she told him trying to cover up the fact that she was laughing at him because he had looked so sweet and innocent. She was really trying to brush away her feelings for him. "I mean," she lied, "You were born in this country and you've lived here for over 20 years, yet you've never heard of it?"

As she followed Ren instinctively, her eyes caught onto the bright light that was being used on the set and she froze. She saw Ren turn to her and his eyes had a lot of shame in them again. Was there something else? Some other word in the script that she could help him with?

"I know that I just met you," he told her, "and what I'm about to say, I would prefer you not to repeat but perhaps you could help me with a personal problem as well," he told him. "I don't want to burden you with too much though so you're welcome to not listen."

Kyoko attempted to look away from the light and nodded, she was having flashbacks of Shotaro after all.

"I have a very important girl in my life, a very important friendship that I'm trying to keep," he told her and Kyoko felt her heart pinch. So, Corn was attracted to somebody else and she just wished that she could help him and that this girl wasn't going to take advantage of him. "I've tried to tell her before but she wasn't listening or something distracted her and I don't know how to tell her that I've been lying to her."

Kyoko froze, Corn was lying to somebody important to him. That was something that he shouldn't be doing whether fairy _or_ human. Hopefully it was a small lie that wouldn't be too painful to this woman. "What kind of a lie?" she asked and he froze.

"You can see that I'm a human, right?" he asked her and Kyoko nodded, her eyes widening as he said this and her mind trying to tell her that he was a human right now, he had traded in his fairy wings to become human. "I was born a human and I'll probably die as a human," he said and Kyoko felt her heart thumping in her chest. "She thinks that I'm a fairy," he said and Kyoko felt herself become weak.

She laughed a little, "What do you mean? What kind of a fairy?" she asked although now she was terrified of who this man in front of her actually was. She laughed a little more, trying to hide behind her character, "That's ridiculous. The girl must be insa-"

"Please don't insult her," Ren said and Kyoko could see the panic in his facial expression. "She's not crazy, she's unique sure but she's extremely important to me. I don't know how to break the news to her that, at least in my mind, fairies don't exist. She's really dedicated to her beliefs in the fairy kingdom," he told her and Kyoko paused as she fell to the ground.

 _Fairies don't exist. Fairies don't exist._

Kyoko wanted to scream. Who was this man in front of her? If Corn wasn't a fairy then what did that make him. Ren looked to her concerned.

"What on earth?" he asked as she was on her hands and knees. "What's wrong?" he asked as Kyoko tried to come up with some excuse that would make him continue to think that it wasn't her that he had admitted this to. First she had seen Shotaro rise above her making her climb seem even harder and now she had the person she had trusted the most tell her that he had been lying to her this whole time.

"It's my anemia," she lied.

"Well," Ren said and Kyoko didn't want to look at him. She didn't know him anymore. She had never known the proper him. "That's hardly surprising seeing as how you've been wearing that costume the whole time," he told her and Kyoko tried to block out her pain. "Wouldn't you feel better if you took off your headpiece?" he asked her and Kyoko knew that right now she didn't want to feel exposed to this stranger.

She slammed her hands down as he reached for her head. His touch was gentle but it was still that of a stranger. "I thought you weren't feeling well," Ren told her and Kyoko felt nervous looking at him.

"Oh, um, well no, it's just that today," she said nervously, "I got fired from my job playing this mascot. So, I'd like to stay in this costume just a little longer," she tried to beg him not ready to admit the real reason for this change.

"You're hopeless," Ren told her and Kyoko paused, "If you can't even get over this one lost job, you'll never make it in show biz. You…did you even like being a mascot?" he asked and Kyoko shook her head. She didn't want such a low-position in the first place.

"What's there to like about it?" she asked quickly and Ren sighed, looking at her in disappointment.

"Then get rid of that costume already," he told her, "You're so unmanly."

Kyoko wanted to snap at him for lying to her and that she was having a hard time even listening to his voice not knowing who he actually and truly was. She didn't want to give herself away and so, instead of saying the things that she wanted to say, she yelled something else at him, "What do you know!? You've never been fired!"

"Actually I have, since you mentioned it," he told her and Kyoko shook her head. He was lying to her again, he was a compulsive liar, he didn't know when to stop lying. Reading her body language, Ren continued to watch her. "Why would I lie about something like that?" he asked, enjoying the thrill of having an actual conversation. "When I first got into show biz, I wanted to get famous quickly so I made a lot of mistakes. I had no experience but I wouldn't listen to any of my directors so I kept getting fired."

Kyoko saw him counting on his fingers going far over a dozen times as he talked about how often he had been fired. Was that why he lied to people? Was he really a conman that chose a fake identity each time he got fired so that people would still hire him?

She sighed. He was still someone she didn't know but it wasn't as if his life had been easy, it wasn't as if he had gone through with no trouble because of his lies and she had to admit that since he had reentered her life, he had provided for her and given her more than she felt that she deserved. Maybe if she learned about the real him, the lie wouldn't seem so bad but underneath all of it, who was he really? Why had he told her such a ridiculous false name the first time that they had met?

 **End of Act Thirty Three**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Thirty Two**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, Paulagato


	35. Act 34 - Home

**AN:** So I've sorted my problems out with this fic. I don't like updating it on days in which I work seven or eight hours because I get tired and especially if people don't review it because then it's like I spend energy that I don't have and it goes little appreciated so I've decided to try to update every other days but on days when I work seven or eight hours or maybe even six, I'm not going to update because I don't feel I have _time_ to update.

 **Act Thirty-Four – Home**

Kyoko had already made arrangements with the Taisho and the Okami-san that she would be living with them in exchange for working more at the restaurant, they had been a little worried about her and so the Okami-san had eagerly welcomed her back. Kyoko was going to give Ren a second chance though. Maybe he wasn't a fairy but he was a kind individual, she just wanted an explanation from him and to know why he lied.

She had packed her bags but she could easily unpack and she was sitting on her knees at the table and just staring at the door. He should have finished with his shoot half an hour ago so he would be home soon. She bowed her head and heard the beep of the door. She didn't move and as he entered he looked at her confused.

"Kyoko-chan, is everything okay?" he asked her before seeing her firm expression and he took a step back. Had he done something that had angered her? He couldn't think of anything.

"Somebody told me something today whilst I was working as a Love Me member," she said trying to be as vague as possible and hope that he didn't connect the dots. He blinked at her and Kyoko stood. "Just tell me the truth because they said fairies weren't real. It was someone from the agency," she told him and Ren looked at her guiltily. He wanted to ask who it was but he didn't want to overstep.

"What do you think?" he asked as he noticed the bags. She obviously had been convinced against her own beliefs.

"They were quite convincing," she told him and Ren sighed and pushed his hand back through his hair. "You, yourself, told me that Ruriko wasn't actually a princess so I want to hear your words. I want you to tell me whether or not you're a fairy prince."

"I…" Ren whispered as he looked away, "I'm not a fairy prince."

Kyoko frowned, the feeling of being betrayed coming back to her again. She felt the tears in her eyes as he looked away feeling guilty for continuing the lie. "So, you lied to me?" she asked and Ren sighed as he looked at the ceiling.

"I didn't mean to, I meant to tell you before but I didn't know how to. I wanted to help you. You mean a lot to me," he said and Kyoko looked at him, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. Somehow the mature Ren seemed a lot more self-conscious, he seemed more innocent and afraid of her reaction but he had been lying to her. He had been actively lying to her and making up stories which had clouded the truth but his answer to her next question might be enough to get her to stay.

"Who are you really?" she asked and Ren looked at her with wide eyes, he looked away. "What is your real name?"

"I'm really sorry," he told her slowly, "I'm unable to provide that information."

"So," Kyoko whispered as her hands turned into fists, she tried hard to blink back the tears that were starting to overwhelm her. "You just think that I'm some huge joke. You wanted to lie to me because you think it's funny."

"I…I don't think it's funny," Ren said feeling desperate but also caged. As much as he wanted to tell her the truth, he knew that it wasn't an option that he really had. "Kyoko, I care about you. I really do. That's just something that I can't tell anyone. I wanted to reconnect with you but…I can't let you know the details of my personal life."

Kyoko bowed her head as a few tears fell down her cheeks, "Friends tell, Ren." She tried to stop a sob and Ren reached out for her, wanting to comfort her. Kyoko pushed his hand off of her shoulder causing Ren to take a few steps back. He shouldn't touch her right now. "Friends tell each other the most basic of details like their real name and where they're from."

Ren looked away, "So you're asking me to choose between our friendship and giving out my personal information and background," he took a deep breath in before bowing his own head. "I can't give you that information. I've lived in this country since I was fifteen. I can't tell you what my name is or where I'm from. I'm really sorry."

"Then I have to leave," Kyoko told him and Ren nodded. "I can't live with a stranger," she told him and Ren nodded again. He hated what was happening but this was the way it had to be. He should have known that he wouldn't be allowed important people. She took her phone out of her pocket and Ren took a step back.

"Keep it," he told her, "I promise that I won't call you on it again but please keep it," he said and Kyoko stared at him.

"You know that I can't keep it," she said as she picked up her bags and Ren bit his top lip before shaking his head.

"I'm not taking it back," he told her before seeing her walk out of the door. He looked at the open door and sank onto the floor. He should have known that he didn't deserve actual happiness.

…..

…..

The next night, Kyoko had found herself a place to sit on the stairs at LME. She held tightly to Corn trying to get the stone to work its magic. She wondered if she had made the right decision when it had come to Ren but she didn't want to stay with another liar. She didn't want to make the same mistake that she had when it had come to Shotaro. She froze as she turned the stone in her hand.

"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay," she said as she sat down feeling the sadness flow through her. Maybe it had been a tragic event that made it so that Ren wasn't able to tell her who he truly was. Still, in denying her the truth, he was causing a block in her friendship where she couldn't trust him anymore.

She held tight to the stone remembering her friend from her childhood. She could try and keep the little boy and the man separate, maybe that would be a good way of coping with the situation. "I'm all right. It's already nothing. Totally fine," she repeated as if a mantra.

She had to get all of the darkness removed from her heart and Corn would help her to do that. She took a final breath before raising her head with a smile, snapping back to reality. "Okay!" she said happily. She could at least start feeling fine even with the huge truth bomb she had experienced the previous night.

She looked down at the stone remembering that precious moment between the two of them. She smiled, trying to think of the best memories she had of "Corn". _Once again, I've depended on you to help absorb my sadness._ She thought as she looked at the stone. She could feel his body on hers but she would have to forget that feeling until he was ready to be honest with her. Maybe she could give him a second chance if he was honest with her.

As her fingers slid over the stone, Kyoko lost herself in that feeling of nostalgia. She was so lost that she didn't realize that Sawara-san was standing behind her and she flinched at the moment that she heard his voice.

"Mogami-san," he said and she stood up quickly.

"Sa-Sawara-san," she panicked, "Are you going home now?" she asked, he had obviously startled her.

"What are you doing in such a place? Sitting alone?" he asked and Kyoko tried to brush away his concern. She didn't feel the need to burden anybody else. She laughed, getting up and attempting to look professional.

Waving her hand in the air, she smiled weakly, "Nothing, it's just that…" she heard a clanking sound and then turned to look in her hands. Corn was gone. He was moving down the stairs, he was moving away from her. She screamed as she hurried down the stairs but when she arrived at the bottom she couldn't find it. Despite how she searched, she still couldn't find it.

Just like Ren, her relationship with Corn had come to an end.

…

…..

After a busy day of work, Ren and Yashiro walked down the same corridor that Kyoko had been in less than an hour before. Yashiro knew that something was wrong, all that Ren had told him was that Kyoko had moved out and gone to live somewhere else where she would be closer to her other job. He had then turned quiet, not wanting to talk about the subject in any more depth. Yashiro wondered whether he really would be okay, it felt a little as if Kyoko had deflected his affections.

As Ren walked down the hallway, his eyes stopped and his body turned cold. Right next to his foot was the Corn stone. She had disposed of it? It was in a shadowy location and he had only seen it by chance but if she had dropped it wouldn't she have looked for it. She was giving up not only on their friendship at this time but on the nostalgic feelings of the past.

With a deep sigh, Ren picked it up and held it between his thumb and index finger. He knew that it was the same stone and he wasn't going to let it go. He hadn't wanted to let Kyoko go but there were circumstances that were out of his control.

"What is that?" Yashiro asked as Ren smiled sadly. He had given her this so that she could have some way of directing her sadness onto a physical object. He had tried to leave her with a parting gift because he really had wanted to take care of her. It seemed that she was now rejecting that. He shouldn't be surprised, he had led to increasing her distrust in men.

"This kind of stone is mined in Kyoko," he told Yashiro trying to hide the nostalgic feelings and the depression that this stone was providing for him. "A lot of locals know of this stone since they sell them in souvenir shops all the time," he tried to inform Yashiro who believed that he was just finding out some new fact about Ren that he didn't have record of.

"Are you okay?" Yashiro asked with a tilt of his head and Ren nodded, carefully putting Corn into his pocket so that it would remain safe.

"It was just for a moment, I was wondering how a person could change so much," he said and Yashiro looked at him confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, "Are you referring to Kyoko?"

Ren shook his head. He had no right to judge her for any change she might have been through. She had been right the previous night, he was more like a stranger to her now because with all the changes that she had been through she had definitely not changed as much as he had.

 **End of Act Thirty Four**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act Thirty Three**

Brennakai, Guest (x3), H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, MWEH

 **Author Response**

I think what I said in my author note makes the most sense for me emotionally. I think I was just stressed that sometimes I would work three eight hour shifts in a row and wouldn't have time to update but I'd scheduled it so I'm happy with my new arrangement, sorry if that disappoints anyone. Kyoko is still hurt from Sho so that's why she's projecting onto Ren…also, certain events in the manga wouldn't make sense if they lived together at this point.


	36. Act 35 - In the Hallway

**AN:** Because of the way things are in this fic, I actually got rid of some of the stuff from the manga. I know that some people might like the scenes but it didn't make sense to me to include it with how things were the previous chapter. Don't worry, Kyoko will still be Ren's temporary manager where some understandings will be reached 😉

 **Act 35: In the Hallway**

Kyoko couldn't help but feel tense every time that she finished a show as Bo. Despite her previous behavior when it had come to Shotaro, people really did like her performance. As rewarding as that felt to her, she had messed up and she didn't want to do it again. She now knew how important a job, any job was to a young actress and she couldn't even call herself an actress yet.

She heard the crew praising one another on their hard work and she looked out to them. They all seemed friendly and so proud of their work. She wanted to be an actress that could have that kind of pride too. Maybe a mascot's job seemed demeaning at first but it was just a stepping stone, right?

"Hey," Hikaru Ishibashi said as he patted her on the shoulder, "Good work."

Kyoko looked at the twenty-year-old and bowed deeply. She was glad that she was developing a little bit of a friendship with the hosts, they were her coworkers after all and also belonged to LME. Despite her desire to be friends with Moko-chan, any type of friendship was good. Because of the president, she had been able to attend the training school with Kanae and she felt that that was doing wonders at helping her with her acting skills. It wasn't as if she had any male friends outside of this program.

"Ah, you too," Kyoko bowed.

Hikaru laughed, "It's nothing. Today was pretty hilarious as well, you're quite good at knowing when to act dumb and when to intrude. Such an interesting person."

Kyoko delivered a nervous breath. She should take that as a compliment. "Honestly, I don't really know," she said nervously. "Thank…Thank you?"

"Hey," Hikaru said as he stood in a relaxed position, "Want to join us for dinner? It's almost nine anyway."

"Huh?" Kyoko asked, unaware that Hikaru was attempting to flirt with her. "No, thanks, I have to head back to the agency." Before she could say anything else, the other two hosts complimented her on her work and she switched her attention over to them, "Both of you as well," she smiled. She was definitely feeling at home here within the group, it was nice to have a feeling of home.

As Kyoko took her head off and walked away she found the producer staring at her and she nervously dropped into the lowest bow that she could whilst wearing the costume. This man didn't like her. He had tried to ban her from the TV station but the audience had wanted her as Bo and the producer sometimes had to give his audience what they wanted. What had turned into a plot for revenge had led to Kyoko getting a job as a regular on the show. However, he seemed to hate her. It couldn't be helped, it wasn't as if Kyoko had a time machine.

Bo wasn't an amazing role but it was a role that she could be paid for and it might help her get connections even within the mascot suit. As she changed her clothes, she looked into her shirt and saw the charm bag that the owners of the restaurant where she worked and now lived above gave her. They had told her that it would make her feel safe and encourage her to work hard and do her best. It was a precious item that allowed her to feel that people loved her. She was glad that she had a replacement for Corn. She turned to the cell phone feeling a little guilty. She had kept it because she had felt that she needed it but he hadn't called her. He had promised not to call her. Even if he was a liar, it was good that he was keeping his distance from her.

Kyoko walked along confidently after she had changed her clothes. She could hear people talking in the hallway but she didn't listen to them first of all. She was sure that she would advance quickly in the entertainment world. She would be able to find her own dream and follow her heart. She smiled boldly before she stopped as the chatter seemed to grow stronger. She wasn't sure what they were talking about but as she raised her head, her eyes widened and she saw the subject of conversation.

Ren was here, in the same studio that she was. He most likely had work to do himself but he seemed so much more guarded than when she had seen him before. He was definitely attractive but taking in everything from the jacket that he had chosen to his long and balanced strides to his closed off facial expression, she was thinking that he was more guarded than before. Maybe he had decided to stop lying to people. No, if he was Ren Tsuruga, he was still living a lie.

…..

…..

Ren kept his focus straight ahead as he walked with Yashiro. Yashiro had been able to notice how his body language and facial expression had changed the weeks after Kyoko had moved out. It was as if he were still getting over being attacked by a pet, he was trying to move on but he was nervous about the injury. Yashiro just hoped it wasn't something as serious as a broken heart. Ren had been starting to open up with Kyoko in his life and now he had put those walls up again.

He was still hurting but at least it wasn't affecting his work. Ren seemed to be ignoring all the people talking about him but this wasn't out of the ordinary. Ren however was trying to filter out the world around him and think about what he had chosen over Kyoko. He hadn't been ready to sacrifice his dream of becoming a Hollywood actor and so he had sacrificed his relationship with Kyoko. The rules that he had set for himself were to not disclose his identity. Although he still paid secretly for the acting classes and for Kyoko's cell phone, he wasn't ready to open up to anyone, at least not anymore.

He had just finished a show and he wanted to get to his next location as soon as possible. His heart had shattered once he found Corn but he still kept the stone in his pocket. It had been a sign that she was done with him. She didn't want him to approach her and she wanted to cut him off from her life. He wouldn't burden her anymore. He wanted for her to have a beautiful and happy life even if it wasn't with him.

…..

…..

As much as Kyoko wanted to run up to him and tell him that she had found a job and the people she was living with were taking good care of her, she was held back by her pride. He had lied to her and who knew why he was hiding his true identity? The fact was that he was a stranger who had manipulated her into believing him.

She didn't want let him know that she had bounced back comfortably. She definitely didn't want to let him know that she had lost Corn, she had even gone back to the area where Corn must have landed and searched and searched for it but somebody else must have picked it up and it was gone. That was a sign that their friendship should be over for both of their sakes.

Despite the lies, she wanted him to be happy and having fun. Maybe he was a good person underneath all of it but he was part of the victim protection and he had been targeted by an international gang where he had to never tell his true identity or he would be in danger. That still meant that he didn't trust her but it was for a good reason.

Kyoko started to feel that everyone was looking at her and whispering and this was mainly the women who were glancing at her and chattering and she didn't know why they were doing that. She felt a bit strange and embarrassed with everyone looking at her and she wondered if she had something on her or there had been some rumor that Shotaro had successfully spread.

It was when she could feel a spark that she looked up and she saw Ren staring at her. People were angry with her because of the special attention that she was being shown. She felt badly. People didn't know about their friendship and they definitely didn't know that he had hurt her and she had most likely hurt him. She saw him sigh and wondered if it was a type of painful sigh.

As she saw him and paled, she could see that gentleman's smile appear on his face. This was a false smile that usually meant his anger but it was somehow making all the other women swoon. Ren turned his attention to the place in front of him again and started to walk off. Yashiro felt that there was something wrong with that smile and saw Kyoko looking down at the ground. Had something happened just now that he wasn't aware of?

…

After that strange encounter with Ren, Kyoko made her way to see Sawara-san. She felt awkward. It wasn't as if Ren had said something to her and he certainly hadn't pursued her but his smile had had a kind of distance to it as if he were just trying to be polite to her. She _had_ made it clear that she wanted nothing else to do with him but at that point she had felt like an animal being targeted by a predator.

Maybe she was thinking too much about this, maybe it was her past with Shotaro that had led her to get the wrong idea about him. Sometimes people lied for reasons that were to protect themselves or others and apart from him not wanting to tell her his real name, he hadn't done anything bad to her. He had been her rescuer, his provider, he had eaten flowers to keep up this lie that he had told to her. If he had really wanted to manipulate her, he would have tossed that salad in the trash in front of her on the very first night.

As she made it to the office, she walked up to Sawara-san's desk. "Mogami-san?" he asked her as she dipped into a low bow, "Is there anything that you want at this late hour?" he asked and Kyoko gave a weak smile.

"Erm..actually," she said nervously, "I was hoping to audition for this commercial that's taking place tomorrow. Since I'm still new, would it be okay to audition for it?"

"Huh?" Sawara asked as he rose from the chair, "A commercial audition?" he asked completely shocked," and it's held tomorrow?" he asked and Kyoko nodded. "Do you think that you'll be ready?" he asked her and Kyoko gave him a brave smile.

"I'll do my best," she told him, "It's all that I can do."

Sawara-san nodded slowly and Kyoko bowed her head again.

"I'm really sorry, I already signed up by myself so it was hard to tell you," she said and Sawara-san laughed at this. She really was a fair and honest girl who liked to play by the rules. He wasn't sure what the president would say to this but he felt it was good for her. He would have felt bad were he head of the acting section and she hadn't known about this but he was the head of the talent section and he got different information.

"It doesn't matter," Sawara told her, "You don't need to apologize."

Kyoko kept her head bowed, "I felt that instead of just waiting, my chance for a major debut will increase if I do this," she said and Sawara nodded.

"True," he agreed before coming closer to her so that he could whisper this part of the conversation, "Besides, for someone who wants to hide the fact of being on the main casting in one of the highly-rated variety show, this will be a good opportunity for you." Kyoko bit her lip to keep herself from explaining why she thought the mascot job was demeaning, other people didn't seem to think it was. "It's weight that you don't like to attract attention."

Kyoko stood quietly, drifting off in her thoughts but Sawara-san seemed to be feeling energetic despite Kyoko daydreaming.

"Right, well anyway. Just call it a day and rest up. Go home for today, get some rest, do your best for tomorrow," he encouraged her and Kyoko smiled. She was excited for her first audition, she just really wished that she could share this news with Corn…well, what she really wished was for Corn to be real.

 **End of Act 35**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 34**

Brennakai, EmmaLasagna, Guest (x2), H-Nala, JeremyVD, Kaname671, KrisXD, paulagato

 **Author Response**

Thank you so much for the support. Kyoko will be getting Corn back but I haven't decided at what point. I could make Kyoko more spastic but I try to go for deep emotional writing, I wonder who could tell that, lol. I'm actually feeling really relieved to not feel a need to update when I have a longer work shift. I work a retail job and sometimes people are unbelievably annoying and I feel zap all my energy.


	37. Act 36 - Erika

**Act Thirty-Six - Erika**

Kyoko couldn't help but feel a little subconscious as she walked down the hallway towards where the audition for the Kaindo product was being held. Apart from the audition to get into the agency – not her finest hour – this was going to be her first audition. It was okay to be nervous right. She would have to brave her nerves and win the role and she wanted to perform her best.

Kyoko stood in front of the sign for the audition to make sure she had all the information possible.

"Yes, right, "she said to herself, "Let me see. Candidates applying for the audition, please proceed to Level 3's dressing room for the audition," she nodded to herself as she prepared herself once again. She wasn't wearing anything flashy, just a skirt, jacket, and shirt but she had to use what she had. She wasn't rich and she definitely wasn't going to ask anything from Ren Tsuruga.

As she climbed the stairs, she heard someone crying out loudly and turned to see two girls comforting one another. It seemed like the picture of friendship that she had always had in her mind and yet had never been able to have for herself. It made her feel sad how she wasn't able to be like that with another girl.

"Kazumi, hang in there," the first girl said to the second.

"Nao-chan," Kazumi replied as she fought against hiccups, "I can't. I feel as if my innards are going to fall out the moment I stand up. I can't do it. I should just give it up. Nao-chan, don't worry about me and move along," Kazumi begged her friend.

Nao looked at her, "Idiot," she sniffed, "What nonsense are you muttering about. Haven't we sworn by our poplar grown, 'Route of Friendship' to become star idols together!" Kyoko took a deep breath in. These girls were also here for the audition. "If you're giving up, I'll quit too."

Kyoko took a deep breath as she turned away. This was a pure friendship and when she had brushed away Ren, she had stopped having that friendship to rely on. She was alone now, having to live independently but that was okay. She wasn't relying on someone who had a history and definitely a problem with lying.

Since Kyoko was young she had wanted to be friends with somebody but because of Shotaro they had always kept away from her. There was nobody who had wanted to be friends with her and face the consequences of that decision. Even Moko-san ignored her despite the advances that she had made at the training section and that was who should be her friend, they were both Love Me members after all.

As Kyoko continued her way down the hall, she was surprised when she was hit by the door. There was an elegant young lady standing there and Kyoko noticed her designer clothes, the gorgeous hair, her body which was an athletic and fit build compared to her plain and boring one. However, falling backwards because this woman had thrown the door open was something that Kyoko had a problem with. Her head was throbbing because of it but the girl looked at her with little interest.

Kyoko turned to her, the good natured worker emerging. "So…sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have idled outside the door."

Instead of being polite and apologizing for opening the door for her, the girl turned away from her to ignore her and this was just how Shotaro acted towards some people. "Move," the girl directed, "I've opened the door for you. If you're leaving, make it fast."

Kyoko looked at her annoyed, furious even. This girl had applied all her strength to dramatically open the door and she hadn't even apologized. What was with the state of people these days? It was reasonable for her to apologize as well but she couldn't even manage that. As the girl turned towards the rest of the room, Kyoko found herself even more annoyed by her words.

"The rest of you can head on home as well since I'm going to get the commercial," she laughed. Kyoko felt her grudges coming out, this girl was truly asking for a fight and Kyoko wasn't going to just allow her to act superior. They were all beginners, she had no right to do this.

"You can tell them about my true capability," the girl said as Kyoko was devising the best way to get rid of her body, "you should know pretty well, don't you? Since elementary school, I'm always the lead actress in all the performances and you have always been a nameless supporting cast. Isn't it?"

Kyoko stared ahead of her at Kanae. She couldn't believe someone like this would be moved to the nameless supporting characters. Kanae had impressed everyone with her ability to act at the audition so it didn't make much sense that she would accept those types of roles. There had to be something else going on here. As she studied Moko-chan, Kyoko could see just how depressed she appeared. It was as if hope was running out in her heart and Kyoko didn't want to see such a pained expression.

What was going on here?

"That's right," Kanae said with a look to kill that surprised Kyoko, she hadn't seen her look at someone else in that way before. "I definitely want to see the power that you don't normally show people. This time, are you going to show them?" she asked making Kyoko wonder even more. What kind of special power did this girl have and why did it seem to intimidate Moko who was an amazing actress.

…..

…..

Only a little while later, the girl, Erika was being served tea whilst sitting on something that Kyoko considered a throne and being aided by three men who had stepped off of a runway somewhere. She was trying to turn herself into a princess and yet, in Kyoko's mind, she lacked the grace and elegance needed to be a princess. Just as Ruriko, she lacked a princesses soul.

Kyoko looked at her in shock as she said that the audition was dull and it was a hardship on her to even come. She had met people like this and she had to pity them. They looked down on the world but they were never part of the world. This is what happened if you had parents like the Fuwas that spoiled you and changed your outlook on life.

Kyoko heard two of the girls auditioning speaking about Erika and she looked over with interest.

"I've seen that girl on television before," the first girl said and the second gasped.

"What? On TV? How?" she inquired and Kyoko felt herself get even more interested in the conversation.

"I remember it was on some special on Japan's princesses. It was about the many rich heiresses to Japan's financial groups and major corporations." Kyoko turned to look at Erika. She seemed to have the status but not the appearance of a rich young lady. Kyoko had always thought that the princesses would be more beautiful and that definitely their insides would be more beautiful. Erika didn't look like what she had seen but Moko-chan seemed to know her.

Kyoko looked over at Moko who was flipping through another script. The mystery of Kanae's connection with Erika was something that Kyoko could only wonder about. Despite the want to find out more about it, the two didn't seem like they were close friends. There was also that power that Moko had referred to before but Kyoko had no idea what to make of that.

As much as she wanted to be friends with the second Love Me member, Moko seemed to keep her at a distance and ignore her. She hadn't even given her the greeting that Kyoko had wanted. She had wanted to make this another step towards the great friendship shared between two girls but Moko had ignored her as much as Erika had.

Kyoko turned to Kanae, her eyes wide and sparkling with tears as she just jumped on her, "What is it about me that you hate so much that you'd ignore me?" she asked and Kanae stared at her in shock before glaring.

"I hate everything about you," she told her bluntly and Kyoko took a step back as if she had been cut down by a sword, "because you're my rival."

Kyoko froze, her body getting cold as that word went through her head. "Rival?" she asked only to be met by a glare as Kanae stared at her. Kyoko felt a cloud of darkness wash around her, she put her hand to her mouth and stared at Kanae in shock. "Why? But aren't we companions doomed to a similar fate?" she asked and Kanae scoffed.

"You, a friend" she laughed before Kyoko felt her heart shake in her chest. "I think I'll pass on such an annoying and one-sided friendship," she announced and Kyoko was left speechless. Was it right to force a friendship on someone who obviously didn't want to be friends with her? Should she keep pushing on this?

She took a step aside only to find that the three men who had accompanied Erika had turned their attention to her. They were invading her personal space and then she could hear the words that they were saying.

"It's terrible. It's this girl! Even though she's auditioning, she doesn't have a spot of makeup"

"So this is what they call a suppi. No not only that! Her clothes are used! No matter how you look at it, it's definitely been worn more than once. So this is what they call old clothes."

"This is worse," one of the men said as he pulled Kyoko's bag away from her. "It's clearly been used daily. I've seen her carry this in public every day. So this is what they mean by recycling."

Kyoko was trying to come up with some choice words to hurl against these men when she heard Erika laughing at her from the side. Kyoko wasn't rich and had to make do with what she had but it wasn't an excuse to harass her and she definitely was feeling harassed by these men.

Erika snickered, "Oh that's what happens when you're forced to use something over and over again. Such is the tragic fate of poor people," she commented and Kyoko looked at her sharply. So, this girl was bullying her. She was trying to scare her into submission. Was _that_ what her power was? She was no princess because even the most spoiled princesses would make fun of a 'commoner' like her.

The men gasped and Kyoko was resisting kicking them all where it hurt but she was worried that that might have her thrown out of the audition. She had to remain calm and hopefully she would get her revenge later. This woman deserved no sympathy from her.

"She's just poor," Erika stated and Kyoko glared at her.

Yes, she was poor right now but she would become rich and successful and then she would be able to prove that she could be better than this girl in front of her. She felt annoyed and it was a mental effort to keep the grudges from destroying her.

"Now I understand," Erika laughed, "that meaning of rival, right?" she asked as if calling Moko out on something. Moko glared at her and Kyoko felt an instant need to protect Moko even if Kanae didn't want to be her friend.

"What meaning?" Kyoko asked causing Erika to snicker again.

"You don't know anything about Kotonami-san, do you?" she asked and Kyoko felt a dagger through her heart. She wanted to be friends with her but it was true, they barely knew anything about one another. "She's not someone you want to be friends with. If you want to know what's so painful, then you should just ask her but you can honestly tell her."

Kyoko felt a cold chill in the room and it was more than one of the judges coming into the room. Something was going on here and Kyoko definitely felt like she should be on the attack, ready for a chance to strike her prey. Erika was going down.

 **End of Act 36**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 35**

Guest, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, PaulaGaTo

 **Author Response:**

I like the scene with him pursuing her too but it wouldn't work with the story I'm writing but a lot of the manga will be in here. There's a lot that's going to happen before the happiness between them again so thanks for your patience with that.


	38. Act 37 - The Secret Power

**AN:** So I think I told you guys in December that to keep this fic running I'm working for a certain number of reviews for each chapter and it was met today so new chapter today. I think this is a fair trade 😊

 **Act 37 – The Secret Power**

Kyoko took a look back at Kanae who was starting to stand up and follow the judges to the audition room, as she passed by Erika, Kyoko could hear the blond girl say coldly, "Oh my, you're going too? When will you ever learn?"

In Kyoko's mind this wasn't making sense. Kanae was so passionate about acting and loved it so much more than anyone Kyoko had met – with the exception of maybe Ren – but she seemed to be weak to this girl. What kind of muddled history did they have?

As Kyoko felt the girl staring at their backs, Erika said coldly, "I look forward to destroying you without mercy."

Kyoko froze. What could cause that kind of threat or response. Kyoko stood firm. There were too many similarities between this Erika girl and Shotaro for Kyoko to feel any level of comfort at all. She was acting as if a character who only wanted to stir up trouble. Did she want to be here? Did she actually _want_ to be in the commercial?

"Mo—Moko-san," Kyoko said whilst feeling flustered as she turned to the other girl, "I can't believe it. That person said something so rude," she said as she pointed her finger directly at Erika, Kanae seemed not to be paying attention but that only worried Kyoko more. "Aren't you going to say anything back?" she asked and Kanae took a slow breath in and closed her eyes.

"Shut up. It's better not to say anything to people like that," Kanae stated and Kyoko blinked in confusion. She didn't understand what was going on but she wanted to fight this somehow. She didn't want to see Moko go through things that she didn't deserve to feel. It wasn't right.

"Somehow," Kyoko blurted out without stopping herself, "It feels like you're running away. Moko-san, you're not acting like your usual aggressive self," the more Kyoko said, the more that Kanae's footsteps became stomps. Kyoko turned her head to the side wanting to see Kanae's expression. "Is that girl really that great?" she asked and Kanae started twitching, another dark aura swirling around the two of them.

"I don't believe," Kyoko continued slowly, "That you've only done minor roles. I thought you were always a leading actress. Why did you perform small parts?" she asked and Kanae turned to her with a sharp glare. Kyoko even had to take a couple of steps back from how the glare punctured her heart. Kanae almost looked like a ghoul from a Halloween display as she turned to Kyoko, cloaked entirely in her dark emotions.

"Did you think that I would do minor roles?!" she asked and Kyoko blinked. She paused awkwardly.

"Oh, I didn't think that," she said as she tried to get Kanae to speak to her again so that their friendship would develop. "That's why I said I didn't believe it," Kyoko tried to tell her but Kanae had already stomped away. Kyoko really wanted to help solve this problem that was coming in between the two of them.

…

…

As the judges settled down, Kyoko kept trying to decide in her head what had happened. Kanae didn't seem the type to take on smaller roles so maybe something had happened like she had been threatened or manipulated. Maybe some guy had brainwashed her and then taken her to Toky- okay, not all stories were the same as hers but as the judging started, Kyoko kept trying to figure out what had happened.

"Um," the head of the judge's panel began to speak, addressing those in the crowd in front of him. "All right. Thanks for waiting, everyone. Even though our commercial director, Kurosaki-san is absent, we will continue. Let's begin," he announced and Kyoko could feel everybody whispering amongst themselves. The director not being there seemed like a huge deal.

Kyoko stayed calm and listened to the man continue to speak, "Oh, but there's no need to concern yourselves. We're going to tape the audition thoroughly, so the director can later watch this."

Kyoko turned to look at Kanae who was staring straight ahead of her in full-on battle mode. Kyoko would be more impressed if she wasn't so nervous about her own acting skills. Again she blurted out without thinking, "I feel uneasy about this audition."

Without even looking in her direction, Kanae took a deep inhale before letting it out and remained calm, "No. You're wrong," she told her and Kyoko blinked confused. She was wrong about feeling uneasy about the director not being there? What did that mean? She hadn't been to an audition before and she had thought that that Erika girl had said Kanae hadn't either, what did Moko-chan know that she didn't?

"The director may not be here," Kanae explained, "but that means the committee has more power," Kyoko still continued to stare at her rather confused but Kanae continued speaking. "The situation's actually in our favor. If something should happen, this audition will at least be fair to all."

Kyoko was going to contemplate on those words further but she felt something get thrown down onto the floor and she turned back to see the chair that Erika had been sitting in. What would cause such a crash? The judges certainly didn't know but it didn't take long before Erika was jumping and twirling in front of her as if a preschooler wanting special attention.

"Number One. Kouenji Erika." Erika smiled as she looked at the judges in a rather gorgeous but also manipulative manner, "Hobbies are horse riding and traveling abroad. As for specialties. I am a pro at classical ballet as you can see."

The judging panel grew rather excited about this and Kyoko had to keep looking between them and this girl. Something was going on. Some special power and Kyoko wasn't sure why but it didn't seem to phase Moko, it was as if she had been expecting this from the very beginning.

"Kouenji?" the judges asked with excitement, "You're the daughter of the Kouenji group?" she said and Erika purposefully placed herself in front of Kanae so that the judges wouldn't be able to see her.

Erika grinned wickedly as she stared into the faces of the judges.

"Ever since I was a child, I've dreamed of becoming the star to represent all of Japan," she announced, "and I have the confidence to become it. If you hire me to represent the new product that you're selling, you can use the Kouenji group name so that it'll be an instant success."

As Erika told the judges all about her family background, Kanae sat behind her very unimpressed. Kyoko realized that this must have been what Kanae had been talking about, her suspicion was verified with Kanae's next words. "She used it."

Kyoko turned to get a better look at Kanae's facial expression, "It's always the same."

Kyoko frowned, "Is this what you meant when you said she uses the power that others don't notice?" she asked and Kanae stiffened a little as bad childhood memories seemed to set in. At least that's what Kyoko felt were happening.

Kanae bit her lip before nodding, her fight face still on. "That girl uses her family's power not her own. This is how the world works, you know, the world of celebrities. This is different from when you were a child and could get whatever you wanted by being stubborn," Kanae said as she seemed to be having a face-off with Erika rather than a conversation with Kyoko. "Outsiders would definitely be able to tell how fake she is."

Kyoko saw the judges praising Erika and her specialty in ballet as well as the fact that she was very beautiful. It was as if, to them, the audition process was already over. At least Kyoko could see that Erika hadn't proven herself by anything other than the fact that she had superior wealth to others but having three butlers following you around and designer clothes should have made it obvious that she was rich. At least it was so blatantly obvious-

Kyoko froze as all the girls other than herself and Kanae seemed to jump about excitedly in hopes of getting the attention of the judges panel. Kyoko knew that it didn't matter how much people tried to do back flips and stampede over one another, these girls wanted to eat fame and fortune and they were malnourished. They wanted it and Kyoko couldn't help but to look at the chaos as an observer. She wasn't even sure how to begin.

This was the wild showbiz world that she had heard so much about and she really was stunned as she took it in. People were willing to do anything to be loved. But with how much people wanted to do anything to be loved, there must be things that they could never do either. Maybe even not telling a single person about their real identity.

….

….

Kyoko felt the gloom threaten to overtake her as she and Kanae sat down in complete exhaustion after the first round of auditions had finished. She hadn't been able to get noticed at all and she hadn't even known how to go about getting noticed. Was she supposed to do backflips as well, ride on a chandelier or some sort of crazy acrobatic act.

Kyoko stared out into the gap in front of her before saying in a dread-filled voice, "That was the worst audition," Kanae sighed in agreement as the two of them reflected back on the horror that had been the first step of the audition process.

Kyoko sighed, even if she had tried to she would have been unable to make an impression on the judges. Even in the LME opening audition she had had them get excited about her daikon trick but for this one she left no lasting impression at all. Even if she had fought along with the other girls there was no way in which she could compete with them. The only true energy she had was that which powered her grudges but then as soon as the question and answer portion started it got a lot worse.

When Kyoko was told that they were supposed to talk about what left a deep impression on their lives and the most dazzling moment she was dazed. When she did answer, she had been wobbling and blatantly told them that she had no sparkling moments because they had ended when her life was ended.

She could have given an answer, a lie, a half-truth anything but she had decided to focus on the truth and she had more or less dug her own grave. She should have been able to _act_ as if there were sparkling moments for her instead of ruining her own chances like that. However, she hadn't been the only one who it felt like there were no happy joyous memories for and she worried for Moko. Kanae had talked about how she had been given the lead role in a play but maybe that Erika girl did something to ruin that moment.

That made Kyoko hate her more. Erika was stealing Kanae's joy, Moko's joy, how could Kyoko just let her get away with that? Kyoko sighed before looking up to where there was a muted television. She felt her body pinch in all kinds of places as she looked at the face of Ren Tsuruga but he seemed a little sharper than how he had been before, more forced, less relatable and she wondered if it was only her seeing it.

She was about to turn to Moko and ask her a question before the host asked Ren a question.

"What advice would you give to young people attending auditions,"

Ren's eyes glimmered and to the average person it would seem just a normal and fanciful sparkle but Kyoko could see the pain within his eyes. "You need to stand out," he replied and Kyoko paused as she became fixated on watching him. As much of a liar as he was, Corn always gave some very sound advice.

 **End of Act 37**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 36**

H-Nala, Kaname671, KrisXD, ncisduckie, The Real Jackie-O


	39. Act 38 - Let's Fight Back

**AN:** I actually got excited to write for this again so let's see where that takes us. Ren scene in next chapter.

 **Act 38 – Let's Fight Back**

Kyoko watched Kanae and smiled sadly, she didn't know if Kanae would have the same reaction that she did to the words that she had just heard Ren Tsuruga say but it was as if he was directing the question to her. Kyoko saw the glum way that Kanae was continuing to sit in. It made her want to do something to quickly change this scenario.

"Don't tell me that you'd decided to give up in the middle from today's audition," she commented hating to see this passionate future actress let someone else dictate her future to her. This wasn't the sort of smile that she wanted on her friends face. She leaned forwards, "Hey, Moko," she said and didn't receive a response. "If you keep acting like this you'll really lose to that girl, you know."

Kanae sighed slowly and stared at the floor as if she had been given some tragic news already, "It's all right," she told her and Kyoko blinked confused. "I already know what the outcome would be. I won't be part of the second audition."

Kyoko sat upright, her face showing how shocked that statement had made her. Kyoko shook her head, trying to stick true to the determination and courage in her own heart, "Why? How can you say that?" Kyoko took a quick breath in but shook her head, "Well, I'm sure the producer will likely choose that girl to represent them, but look, Kantoko-san hasn't signed a contract with her yet. If we work had until the end there's still a chance."

Kyoko paused as she saw the heartbroken but still frustrated way that Moko turned to her. It was as if she could sob out all the tears in her body and then sob out her soul afterwards. Her eyes were filled with tears. "That's because you don't get it!" Kanae stood, her face showing even more passion that Kyoko knew would be perfect captured on film in the not so distant future. "She always does this. Whenever I'm about to move up in this industry, she comes in and block my way. I can't compete against money."

Kyoko paused and took a few deep breaths that fortunately Kanae managed to match. Once she was beginning to breathe calmly, Kanae started to speak.

"When I was in third grade, I did a play but she got the class to vote for her and took the main role that I played and from then on, she did it again and again. That girl's always been manipulating things behind the scenes. The main part in the school play became hers whilst I was put into some minor role. Then, in middle school she made it so I couldn't join the drama club. There's no way that her participation in this audition is simply a coincidence."

Kyoko looked at Kanae, not even looking away for a moment because she knew how important this was to Kanae to get out. She wasn't even going to say anything until she knew that it was her turn to answer. This was an important matter between friends and Kyoko was going to keep it this way.

"That girl," Kanae said as she struggled to fight against her tears, "Doesn't want me to even see the light of day."

Kyoko listened to the silence. She didn't want to place any more pain on Kanae, that was what made the bond between her and Moko-chan so special. They had both been through pain in the past. They were supposed to help one another give up the pain and learn to seek love and acceptance and that came from loving one another.

"So," Kyoko finally replied, "Why are you going to quit at the second round of auditions?" Kanae clenched her fist and avoided eye contact but this didn't stop Kyoko from wanting to be there with her friend, to help her friend. "If you run at this point, then she will always stifle your dreams."

Kanae kept her head bowed but chuckled darkly. Kyoko knew that Kanae didn't believe her but this was where problems got started when you lost faith in yourself. She might have been like this if Corn hadn't come for her that night. Maybe that's why he had lied to her and got trapped in his own lie, he had wanted for her not to lose. He had wanted her to fight. He had eaten flowers for her. Still, this wasn't the time to think about Corn and want _Corn's_ forgiveness, this was a bonding moment between female friends.

"It's not like it matters," Kanae replied and Kyoko had a glint in her eyes that meant that she was ready to declare war on this individual. "In this world, there's nothing that can win over money. It's obvious that she will buy her way into Kantoko's favor. People, after all, are just like that."

Kyoko moved forwards, slapping Kanae across the face and hoping that the slap would bring her back to reality. There were times in which you did have to learn from your mistakes but it seemed as if Kanae was learning the wrong lesson here and Kyoko had to knock some sense into her. Hopefully Kanae would forgive her for the slap but this was more important. Kyoko wasn't going to let Kanae give up on her dreams just because she had been crushed, you could get over being crushed, you just had to push on harder and stronger than you were before.

Kanae moved her head to take a look at Kyoko and the chestnut haired girl surprised her. It was as if she was in a battle pose. They were really going to fight this, weren't they?

"Moko-san," Kyoko said passionately as she tried to maintain steady eye contact with her friend. "Do you really think there's no other way?" Kanae paused and so Kyoko took the chance to continue speaking, "Is it true that you think your talent can be overthrown by wealth? It doesn't matter how rich you are because _talent_ is something that you can't buy."

Kanae hesitated as she saw her serious Kyoko was. She had her own thoughts about what Kyoko was saying but it seemed to her that she should stay quiet about those. "It's true that no one can buy talent but they can buy people's hearts," Kanae replied and Kyoko shook her head.

"But no body sold their. Nobody" Kyoko argued in an attempt to see reason in this.

"No one will refuse money," Kanae said and Kyoko froze. Her mind quickly went back to Ren's apartment and the sadness that was there despite designer clothes and really elegant material possessions. She mentally kicked herself, she had to stop thinking about him.

"You can't decide that everyone is the same based on your own assumption," Kyoko said and she didn't want to admit how much that phrase rested upon her own heart especially when it came to Kuon. "Moko-san," Kyoko continued, "When I failed at the audition at LME, I also thought that there was nothing I could do. I thought since I didn't belong there, I should just give up. However, that was because I was relying on my assumption that I will never make it to LME unless I passed the audition, but, eventually I realized that my assumption was wrong. It's still too early for us to decide on whether we belong here or not because I know I could do better."

Kyoko let her breathing rest and she met Kanae's gaze. "What about you?

Kanae was speechless and she looked ahead at the girl who seemed to be holding hope for the future, she was leading her to a door that Kanae had always assumed couldn't be unlocked easily.

"What about you?" Kyoko repeated and Kanae blinked, "Moko-san, after all this time, have you ever confronted her?" She questioned and Kanae paused trying to come up with the best answer. "Have you ever insisted on defying her even though you know that you won't win against her wealth or power?"

Kanae continued to stare at her and Kyoko let her breathing relax, "Moko-san, you really want to be an actress, right?"

Kanae stood in front of Kyoko shaking as she cycled through her past but over time her aggressive body posture relaxed and her fist opened up into a hand, she was shaking but it was as if she could finally be herself again.

"Yes," Kanae replied and Kyoko smiled.

"Well then, you should fight back." Kyoko advised and Kanae's eyes widened with hope for a new life, "Don't you feel irritated? Being followed like that?"

Kanae stared at her, an innocence coming to her face that wasn't usually there and Kyoko paused, she hadn't wanted to mislead her friend or build up false hope. She paused as Kanae blinked, "Fight back…how?" Kyoko tried to figure it out and heard Kanae repeat, "How can I fight back?"

Kyoko paused, she tried to figure something out but Kanae kept staring at her. "Umm, well…" Kyoko shuffled before feeling herself sweat under the pressure. "Oh. By the way, since we didn't stand out in the first round we should do something this time, that can create a strong impression on the judges."

Kanae looked at her with so much hope that Kyoko felt a little guilty about rushing them into such a situation. "You're right," Kanae told her before Kyoko felt the push to do something that a best friend might do but she didn't have the experience in that area, "but how?"

Kyoko paused before remembering the interview she had just seen with Tsuruga Ren. He had been saying that she should do something to pull attention and there was always one thing, one cursed item that always brought attention and you would always remember it. Maybe Ren was talking about standing out in a crowd and their Love Me uniforms made that happen, it was drawing attention to their connection to LME as well.

"There is a way," Kyoko smiled and Kanae tilted her head to the side confused. "Moko-san, don't we have a way that we can attract attention without even trying?" Kyoko asked and Kanae shifted nervously. "Yes, the only thing that we have that others don't! One glance of this is enough. For sure, we'll draw attention."

As the realization hit her, Kanae felt the cold sweat down her back and her eyes widened in horror. "Wait, wait a minute. Don't tell me you want to do _that!?_ Not in a million years. Not for the audition. No," Kanae panicked. It was a curse. Kyoko was deliberately telling her that they needed to be part of that curse.

"Moko-san," Kyoko said in a very direct manner, "Don't you even try saying that it's embarrassing. If you truly think it's such a bad idea, then you think of a better idea." Kyoko waited for Kanae to come up with a better plan but from looking at her, Kyoko already knew that this was the best choice that they had. "Then," she stated, "It's decided," she stuck out her pinky.

"What?" Kanae asked as she looked at Kyoko's hand and Kyoko blinked.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, "Promise me that you'll go to the second round of this audition with me. C'mon, let's pinky swear."

Kanae pulled back with a huge blush over her face. She wanted to get away from that troublesome little friendship thing. She grabbed her coat and stormed off with Kyoko on her pursuit. No matter what it took, Kyoko really wanted to get that pinky promise.

 **End of Act 38**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are loved**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 37**

Guest, Kaname671, The Real Jackie-O


	40. Act 39 - The Cost of Being Nice

**AN:** It's a little shorter but I liked the end point 😊

 **Act 39 – The Cost of Being Nice**

Ren sighed as he stared off into the sky. There were just some things that he had to live with and not having Kyoko as his friend was sadly one of those. He couldn't have important people anyway, not after what had happened in the past. Ren sighed as the stylist worked on his hair. He had made so many more sacrifices for his spotlight in showbusiness than just losing her friendship. He would get over this loss as well. He _had_ to get over this loss.

"Tired?" Yashiro asked as he handed him the coffee and Ren smiled.

Everything unpleasant in his life, Ren had to bundle up and push to a back corner of his mind. That's the life in which he had to survive. So what if other people had difficulty with it, he couldn't afford to let the problem affect the life of a man who was sometimes a stranger even to himself.

"Thanks," he smiled to Yashiro but heard one of the new actresses coming over to him whilst shaking. She was bright red and shaking with her eyes filled with tears and Ren was reminded of her all over again.

"Tsu…Tsuruga-san. I…I'm really sorry that I made the scenes take longer than usual. Next time, there won't be as many retakes. I promise," she tried to apologize and Ren smiled naturally.

Was he that kind of a scary monster that people had to be worried about this? Where had people come up with this idea of him, this wasn't who he was. Ren smiled softly and rose to go over to her. This wasn't what he had wanted and his father would be ashamed if he learned that this was the way that some girls saw him.

"Don't worry," he told her as he dried her tears a little, "it's okay because great scenes usually take a lot of time." He softly let his finger go under her eyelash and she froze, falling in love with him without giving much thought to it at all. "Now, stop crying. If you cry, you'll lose your self-confidence."

The girl nodded although she couldn't stop herself from staring at him and Ren smiled. His father had always seemed pretty cool when he helped women out in the way that he just had. He didn't notice that Yashiro was in the background and that he was paying attention to the interaction between the two of them.

"Let's do our best" Ren smiled as the conversation ended.

As Ren sat down, Yashiro approached him again and smiled as he tried to figure things out. "Now that I think about it, what kind of things influence you to be in such a good mood?" he asked.

Ren looked to him. He was surprised about that question because he really didn't have a good enough answer for it. Was it enough to say that he had some ugly things in his past that he was trying to hide? Okay. That was definitely _not_ good enough.

"Well," Yashiro continued, "I was just thinking you give nice and encouraging advice to other people but what influences you to be in such a good mood," he continued and Ren froze looking at him as if Yashiro had asked for basic arithmetic.

"You're asking me about that?" Ren said as he tried to figure out the deeper meaning to Yashiro's question, "Well, nothing in particular. Well, there's nothing strange about it, right?" he asked and Yashiro hummed again.

"No, nothing strange but it's just that…" Yashiro looked to the young actor. He probably shouldn't be venturing on this subject. There was a lot that he still didn't know about what had gone on between them and Ren didn't want to say more than that she had found another place to live. Still, that meant that there had been something tough between the two of them,

"I know you've told me that you admire Kyoko especially in her attitude towards her work, her determination, her perseverance but it's coming out like something happened, that maybe you dislike her," Yashiro told him and Ren grew very pale and tense. He hadn't meant for that to happen, he had just wanted to give her some space from him because it felt like she was asking for that. He had tried to withdraw and Yashiro watched him as he seemed to try to come up with an explanation on his behavior that wouldn't reveal too much about the truth.

"You should probably tone down your dislike towards Kyoko-san," Yashiro said and Ren guessed that he had thought that the dislike was the reason why Kyoko had moved out from his apartment and why the two of them were never talking any more. Wasn't it okay to just say that she was closer to her job in her new location.

"Well," Yashiro laughed, "It'll be best. Being nice to others is just like you. Actually, it's kind of weird how you're friendly with others but you keep your dislike to Kyoko-san. It doesn't suit you at all. Don't you think Kyoko-san has always been trying her best? That's why I don't understand why you dislike Kyoko-san so much."

"I don't dislike her," Ren said as he looked down at his feet. It wasn't only Kyoko who had been happy and excited about their reunion and he hadn't wanted to hurt her. However, he couldn't carry around the baggage from his past. The president had told him that much. He sighed as he thought about the young Kyoko, that six year old girl that he had always wanted to meet again and now that he had, she hated him because he wasn't actually a fairy.

He had been careless and he had to stop it before she really believed that he didn't care for her. He wanted to be there for her for whenever she wanted to try to trust him again. He sighed. It was a heavy weight and maybe she would never want him ever again but this was the game that he had to play, this was the game that he had played his entire life.

The choice wasn't obvious to him though.

He didn't want to let something from the past bind him again because ever since he had entered the entertainment industry he had promised himself to not drag his past around with him. However, the memories of Kyoko had made him let her into his life where she could easily dig up all the sand that he had dumped on his former life. Maybe he had to let her go to stay strong in this world. It wasn't what he wanted to do but maybe it was best. He needed to not look back, that's where the shadows came from.

…

…

Kyoko knelt down with Kanae outside where the second stage of the audition would take place. The two of them were wearing their Love Me outfits and had other people staring at them in horror. To be stared at in horror was the real problem with the Love Me uniforms. Kyoko focused her attention onto Kanae as she tried to motivate her to take on this challenge.

"Understand, Moko-san?" she asked not caring about the people who were staring at them. "From this moment, you're no longer letting yourself be preyed upon and you're not going to run away. Now you're going to be the one hunting. Yes! You're the swift, powerful, panther and you can take down any prey you want" she tried to motivate the other girl, her new best friend. "We will be the panthers in this so-called savannah of show business."

Kanae felt herself sweat a little bit but she continued to look at Kyoko. Only Kyoko would be talking about panthers going after their prey outside of an audition room. It seemed something that made so little sense it was characteristically Kyoko.

"Fine," Kanae sighed, "I don't mind that but what do you mean by 'we'?" she asked and Kyoko looked at her confused.

"Huh?" she asked and Kanae sighed.

"Yesterday," she tried to explain before Kyoko could launch into another long speech about what they should be doing and what kind of motivation that they should have, "I was pretty surprised when you asked me to wear the uniform, but I'm glad you're wearing it too."

Kyoko nodded, "Well, I suggested it, so of course I'll wear it too and besides, we're partners from the LME section! We share the same fate so your enemy is my enemy too." Kanae sighed. She felt a little guilty that Kyoko was giving her so much help and trying to help her fight for her dream when Kyoko should be fighting for her own dream. Although Kyoko wanted female friends, there were some places in life that you had to get to alone.

"We'll bring her down together," Kyoko said passionately and Kanae sighed and dropped her head.

"But," she said slowly, "even if we win against her, only one girl will pass and be accepted."

Kyoko sat back in shock. She had been so motivated to have Kanae win against Erika that she hadn't thought about the fact that if Kanae won then she wouldn't win. She still wanted this to help her launch a new career in showbusiness and now she had to choose between her friend and herself. Well, Moko-san was more talented than she was but it didn't mean that Kyoko was just going to quit.

"You just realized?" Kanae asked surprised and Kyoko nodded slowly with wide eyes.

Kyoko shook her head quickly before the look of motivation returned to her and she sat with a samurai spirit, her knees bent on the floor and hands resting atop them as if in practice. Kyoko looked at Kanae with the same headstrong manner, "It's okay. I won't feel bad if I lose to you because of the difference in our talents. There will always be another chance in the future."

Kanae froze. This girl had opened a world of doors for her, a world of doors where she could leave free from Erika's influence. She didn't have to succumb to Erika any longer and it seemed that this girl had doors open for her all the time even if she had to exert extra energy to do it. There were people who had all types of dreams and now Kanae realized how much Kyoko was believing in her own. It was acting, right? She wanted to be an actress.

Kyoko laughed, "I'm a really stubborn person, aren't I?" she asked with a cheerful smile and Kanae tried to keep her emotions from flooding out of her. This kind of a person hadn't been in her life before now. She definitely felt lucky having Kyoko here.

"You are definitely similar," Kanae smiled as she tried to hide her face so there was no chance of her emotions escaping.

Kyoko blinked, "Huh?" she asked in a sweet confusion, "Similar to what?"

"Never mind," Kanae shook her head and looked up at her with the same kind of energetic determination, "You really don't mind?" she asked, "I'm going to try my hardest to get this job."

Kyoko grinned and looked straight into Kanae's eyes and Kanae had to admit she was impressed by her strength. "Me too."

 **End of Act 39**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 38**

Kaname671, KrisXD, PaulaGaTo


	41. Act 40 - The Luck of the Draw

**Act 40 – The Luck of the Draw**

Kyoko grinned to Kanae as they shared a moment of friendly bonding before she heard something unpleasant approaching them and they looked at one another in a determined manner. "But," Kyoko said as she sat conspiring with Kanae, "Our first prey is the same, right?"

As Kyoko said that she heard a noise behind her of alarm but didn't dare to look. This girl could be getting pushed off of a roof and she wouldn't – no she probably would still care. Kyoko didn't want to hear the snobbish things that Erika would say though.

"What kind of outfit is that!?" Erika shrieked as she pulled back in fear. In her minds these girls were in awful outfits that would be more suited to a mental institution or hospital wing. She wouldn't dare go out in these colors, it would be truly awful. "I can't believe you'll do something this disgraceful! Don't tell me that you came here wearing those!"

As she said that one of her manservants grabbed her and attempted to turn her away, "Erika-sama, please don't look that way," he instructed as Kyoko and Kanae felt the loathing radiating off of them.

Erika suddenly started laughing, brushing the fact that to her they looked hideous and were burning her retinas aside. "Don't tell me you're that desperate to win against me. I never knew you'll become this desperate. Knowing that I'll win against you anyways. You shouldn't embarrass yourself like this…you should have quietly withdrawn."

Erika saw the two Love Me members rise in unison but she continued in her arrogant manner. "You're really annoying with that I-want-to-act attitude of yours. In grade three, I should of transferred to another school! But I stayed there until grade six and I had to force myself to go to the same junior high as you, when that school was the last school on my 'what school should I go to list'. I should have gone to that other junior high instead." Erika sighed and opened an eye as she attempted to act like the victim in her own story.

"Anyways, because of you, my childhood is ruined," she blamed Kanae. As she turned to the two other girls though, she looked in shock. Usually people would be apologizing to her if she said something like that. They would fall down on their knees and beg her for forgiveness. It was terrible when they wouldn't do such a thing.

Instead though she was facing two of the harshest glares ever. There was a dark confidence behind each of them as they stared at her as if she were a monster. She couldn't allow for them to defy her and to believe that they had the skills and confidence to win. She wasn't a monster and she wasn't going to be treated like a monster by someone wearing such an ugly color. If this was a battle then she had already won.

Erika felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked to them, "What…why are you looking at me like that?" she asked them.

"Yes," Kanae said slowly, "I did ruin your life. I'm sorry. But don't worry, everything will end today. I will free myself from you." The standoff was chilling but Kyoko was proud of Kanae's determination. They would win. They had to win. In all of the fairytales good always prevailed over evil.

…..

…..

Kyoko looked at the box in front of her with a shaking hand. Even though the box did say 'Ushio Special' this was still scary. There were always booby prizes in mystery boxes and knowing her luck she would pull one out that would tell her to go home and that she was no longer being considered for the audition and she would never become an actress.

She flinched as she looked at it, "this is a cruel test of whether you are lucky or not," she said in a nervous manner as if her life was on the line, "As long as I get a piece of parchment out of that box, the one I drew out must be…"

She put her hands to her face and felt a dark cloud over her, she panicked again as an image floated in her mind. There was a house and the words: Failure, you do not have the right to participate in the second round. Please leave."

Kyoko covered her face and moved from side to side in panic, "It will definitely be those words. I don't want that. I'm too afraid to put my hand in."

Kanae came over to her and looked at her bitterly, "Haven't you drawn yet?" she asked before sticking her hand into the box as Kyoko watched in fear. "What are you trying to do? There are only two pieces of paper left in the box," she stated before pulling them both out and handing one to Kyoko. "This is for you."

Kyoko moved forwards and her eyes filled with tears, "You are too much, Kotonami" she panicked, "this must be the disqualifying piece."

Kanae stared at her in shock, "There is no such thing," she tried to tell her, "Didn't the producer mention that the second round is determined by drawing lots," she stated before opening her paper which had the letter-number combination of '3-B'. "What is this?" she asked.

They both stared at the papers and there was a loud noise that made everyone turn around to see someone who looked like he might be a low-class Yakuza member. All of the contestants were looking at this man who had a fashion of someone in a biker gang. He laughed as he looked at Kanae and Kyoko but then sat down at the judges table. He couldn't be the producer alone."

"Ah then," the assistant producer said, "before the second rounds begins, let me introduce someone. This is the producer who wasn't here on the first round. Erm, I believe everyone has seen him plenty of time on TV. The new commercial, Kando, is all done by producer Ushiro Kurosaki."

Ushiro leaned forwards with a smile, "Why is there such a comment?" he asked them, "because the commercials I produce are a work of art. Do all of you know that a commercial is a win/lose of ten seconds? Within these ten seconds, the product and company message must be deeply implanted into the minds of the consumer. Hence the new commercial I intend to do it more dramatically."

Kyoko nodded along to this. Of course, she had never starred in a commercial before but she had seen them. It made sense that they needed to capture so much in so little time but she had never acted in anything before and this seemed like something that Ren would be able to do in just a handful of seconds without worrying about it.

"So," Ushiro pointed towards the girls, "Have all of you drawn the lots? On the paper there's a number and a letter, right? Those with the same number shall pair up. 1-A pairs up with 1-B," he instructed and soon all the girls were talking and trying to find their partner for the audition.

Kyoko looked towards Kanae in surprise, they had drawn the last two pieces of paper but had still been paired up together. This was a good thing, right? She could have trust in her partner.

"The A and B written on the paper, treat it like your own number tag. So to speak, the plot of this commercial concern A and B, the ones I am hiring will be two amongst you but I may not use the two in the same group to conclude after reviewing today's audition round, I will choose the suitable A and B."

Kyoko looked to Kanae happily that they were in the same group and that there would be two people in the audition. It meant that they could work as one unit in following their dreams.

"Next up" Ushiro told them, "A and B must carry out a task. I want you to… how shall I put it? Within sixty seconds, in the easiest way, get into a quarrel." Kyoko paused as she tried to figure out what he meant by that. They had done improv acting at the acting class but she hadn't expected for something like that in an audition? Was that normal? "The reason behind A and B's quarrel is both have fallen for the same guy," Ushiro told them, "A confessed to the guy but it turns out the one he likes is B. Everything begins from that. I will leave the quarreling to your creation. I will give you twenty minutes to discuss this in the lounge, but, remember this is not a real quarrel. A and B are the very best of friends."

Erika raised her hand high as the producer had finished with explaining the idea for the first acting test. She wasn't going to let Kanae Kotonami steal her precious light from her. "I have a question!" she yelled loudly enough that the echoes bounced off of the walls. "Does this sort of female relationship exist?" she asked and Ushiro looked at her not knowing what to say.

"It's just imaginary," he said with a confused look as if Erika were an idiot. "The world is filled with imaginaries anyway."

Erika looked shocked and angry as she looked at him, "I did not mean it that way," she pointed a finger at Kyoko and Kanae and angrily stated, "I am saying about these two?" she yelled and both of them took a step back in surprise. It _was_ pretty surprising to be called out in the middle of an audition by one of the other contestants.

"They belong to the same department," Erika continued, "and now they are in the same group. Compared to those who have just met yesterday, it's obvious they can communicate better," she said and Kyoko paused. She could hear people start to whisper about how unfair and unreasonable it was and this wasn't something that she felt was true. They had only started to bond the day before, before that she would try without result to become friends with her.

"In this situation," Erika commented, "They don't even need to discuss with one another," she said and Kyoko felt her jaw drop at such a random statement. She turned to the side to see that Kanae was trying to figure all of this out in her head and she leapt forwards.

"Wait a second! How can you decide that yourself!? You must be joking" she said before putting a hand to her chest. "Only yesterday did I manage to get Kotonami to talk to me. How can we act if we don't get to discuss? Don't overestimate us" she said. Kyoko knew that she was probably too determined when she said this but Erika looked down at her once again.

"Those words," she said as Ushiro felt the atmosphere grow tense, "you two must have planned this."

"Hey, everyone drew from this box anyway," Ushiro attempted to make himself heard above the crowd. "It's just luck that they are in the same group."

Having heard that Kanae's eyes widened and she stood between Kyoko and the producer. "It's not necessary," Kanae said and Kyoko froze. What did she just say? "Let us do it. No discussion." Erika looked at her as if she had just lost her mind but Kanae still stood strong. "It doesn't matter to me anyway," she said and Kyoko paled.

It did matter to her. What were they going to do? Why was Moko-san insisting on such an impossible situation?

 **End of Act 40**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 39**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, The Real Jackie-O


	42. Act 41 - A-ko and B-ko

**Act Forty One – A-ko and B-ko**

Kyoko paled as she sat alone in the room where she was isolated from the other contestants. She was still stunned by how things had turned out. She was going to be entering an audition without practicing when everyone else _did_ get to practice. This felt like she was writing a suicide note. She looked blankly ahead, knowing how scared she felt.

"What to do now," she muttered to herself. No matter how good Kanae was in her acting, Kyoko would have to coordinate her actions to be able to respond to her. If Kanae went left, Kyoko would have to follow her and the result was unpredictable. She didn't know whether she knew enough about acting to pick up any small cues that Kanae might give her. She had to be ready.

She sighed, more that her not passing this stage of the competition though, the most important thing was that Moko-san be able to bring out her best. It was for Kanae's dream that Kyoko wanted to work so hard. She didn't want to be responsible for actually causing for Kanae to lose to Erika for real, those scars would take a while to heal.

She felt the dark cloud above her feel more weighted. She needed to stop thinking in this manner and start figuring out how she could help, Thinking negatively might lead to negative results and Kyoko just wanted to be happy. She didn't notice that Ushiro was at the doorway observing her. This definitely felt like the short straw that she had pulled.

…..

…..

Erika and her partner fell down after their performance, both of them had been arguing about the imaginary relationship and it felt like a real fight, the type that you would see in a scripted drama. If Kyoko wasn't careful then Erika would snatch away Kanae's chances at a proper dream.

"Alright, sixty seconds," one of the judges commented.

"Quite impressive," another one perked up.

Kyoko felt her stomach start to swallow her gut. She hadn't expected for Erika to have any skill, she had thought that she would just buy her way into things but the fact that she could actually perform something like this was more of a worry to Kyoko. Kanae needed to be chosen for this audition, now Kyoko had to really step up her game and she didn't know where to start doing that.

"Amazing," one of the other contestants said, "they could get into a heated quarrel within only sixty seconds. They are really matching."

"Especially Erika," the girl's scene partner replied, "You can't tell she's a rookie."

That was the problem that Kyoko was having. Erika was acting as if she already knew at least a little about acting and in that manner, Erika was performing much stronger than she was. She felt the color drain from her body as it became a pale cold shell. This wasn't good. Not to mention that she had only seen parts of the performance because she was only partially watching it. Maybe if she had studied it and reviewed it, she could overcome it but now she might have put the final nail into Moko's coffin.

When it came to their turn, Kyoko walked forwards to face Kanae and they stood opposite one another. The tension could be felt around the room for them to react to but Kyoko needed to calm herself before she could sink or swim. It just had to be a quarrel, that was what Kyoko thought about as she went over the story in her head. A went to confess to a boy she liked and B was upset.

However, as the story progressed in Kyoko's head she started to feel a little dizzy. It was a quarrel but not a real quarrel because they were the best of friends. Kyoko would never want to hurt her friend but she had no real life example to base her acting on. That had been her failing in life. Nobody wanted to be friends with her and her mother didn't even want to be her mother.

"Stop," Kanae said and Kyoko paused before looking at her, "Do not think at all," Kanae commented and Kyoko paused, she was a little scared of what Kanae might mean by that. "Just coordinate with me." Kyoko looked at her blankly.

"Begin now," Ushiro told them as he set the timer and handed it to the assistant producer.

Kanae and Kyoko bowed together, "Do guide us," they both said before standing up and Kyoko tried to get herself into a battle mindset. She would fight for them to be able to pass through this round of the audition. Kanae deserved to be able to continue her dreams as an actress. Kyoko didn't want someone else to take her precious friends's dreams from her again.

"Begin" the assistant producer called out.

Kanae took a step back, giving Kyoko a stern and hurt look that showed power and authority, Kyoko took a step back trying to react to that facial expression. There was silence between them and Kyoko could feel the tension, it was suffocating her. She tried to steady herself but the intense look that Kanae was giving her made Kyoko feel that she was truly hated.

Kanae reached out to strike Kyoko and Kyoko felt a cold hand against her cheek. She froze as she realized that Kanae had slapped her. So, was this her intention all along to slap her and have her react to that acting, the acting of hurting her. That was cruel. Kyoko wasn't someone who should just be pushed around, she had experienced too much of that with Shotaro.

No. Kanae had told her to coordinate with her which meant that Kyoko would have to strike back too. She lifted her hand but then stopped and paused. Kanae had gasped and was staring in horror at her hand which was shaking. Tears came to her eyes as the message was obvious that her character was suffering from the pain she had caused her best friend. She had acted physically and violently in this situation where the two were close and Kyoko felt the anger leave her as the desire for Kanae to be okay entered her mind.

Kanae collapsed to the ground sobbing and Kyoko watched her, wanting for her to be okay. Kyoko stopped with the tears shimmering in her eyes again. Kyoko took a step back, her hands at her sides.

"Sorry," Kyoko whispered as Kanae hung to herself and Kyoko really hoped that this was only in character. No. Kanae was such an amazing actress that this just had to be a false fight. Kyoko couldn't forgive herself if this was real pain.

There was silence as the judge's stared at them shocked and everyone just watched them.

As if a pop-up toy, Kanae got to her feet and bowed, "Thank you," she said to the judges and Kyoko bowed quickly afterwards, wanting to follow Kanae's lead as much as possible, she still felt slightly clueless about what was going on at that time.

"Thank you very much," Kyoko told them and they walked off despite there still being time on the clock.

Ushiro took off his glasses in amazement as he looked at the pink pair. Who were they? Why hadn't they been discovered yet? He was about to step in on a treasure, wasn't he? No. There was more that they could prove to him but he had to admit that he was excited for more.

…

…

Kyoko paced the room where she was separated wanting to come up with the best follow up scene. She was happy that she was working with Kanae and it hadn't surprised her that Moko-san had come up with a plot that was easy to follow or maybe Kanae was just reacting to whatever she was doing. Maybe she was giving herself too much credit. That could always be possible.

Now it was her time to think of what they should do in the scene. The scene itself was based around the idea of reconciliation. They had to do something that would show that the two friends were making up and that was difficult for Kyoko.

"How would we do a reconciliation scene?" she asked aloud as she paced. If she was in this scene, she would want to stop the argument as soon as possible and encourage her friend because in Kyoko's mind, between friendship and romance it was a pretty easy decision. She had personally decided not to fall in love again so she definitely wouldn't to risk a friend's happiness. She had already decided not to fall in love again and that did include with Ren. She couldn't trust people especially men who played with people's hearts.

Kyoko looked around the room, she had to think of the perfect scene which would convey the emotions between them. She smiled as she hugged the back of a chair.

"Who am I?" she asked using one voice before switching the voice that she was using.

"Hm? Seriously don't joke around! You're B."

"Nope Too bad!" Kyoko said as she span around to face the chair as if someone were already sitting down on it. She laughed happily to herself as she truly imagined the other party beside her. "I'm not B-ko! I am _B-ko_ who's always going to be A-ko's friend"

Kyoko laughed happily as she pulled the chair behind her. She danced around the room in her fantasyland game. This was strange to most people and she believed that she had only ever played in this style around Corn as Sho would make fun of her. Corn didn't make fun of her though, not until he became Ren Tsuruga.

Kyoko started to pretend that she was shopping with the imaginary A-ko, both complimenting one another on clothes that they had picked out and acting as two girls would in a shojo manga. She grinned as she looked into the distance, her hands clasped together as she fantasized.

"I really want to have _this_ kind of friendship with Kotonami," she said as she blushed and her eyes sparkled as she remained in her dreamland, her fantasyland.

Kyoko sighed as she sat down. Moko-san had pulled the lines that she needed out of her in the same way that Ren had done during the acting test. In Kyoko's mind they were both skilled actors who she hadn't minded following but she wondered how else Ren had influenced her behavior. Kyoko didn't want to be some toy doll just doing what other people wanted from her.

Kanae had made her feel heartbroken so maybe she did understand how much their friendship meant to Kyoko. She had unknowingly apologized but that was one thing that Moko-san had wanted. Kyoko couldn't keep herself from thinking about what an amazing person Kanae was. She froze. Now it was her turn to lead Moko-san and she had no idea how to do that. She wasn't a skilled and self-trained actress in the way that Kanae was.

"Ri…right," Kyoko said as she attempted to focus on the task that was set out before her, "Firstly, I have to tell Moko-san what lines I want to say. This time I must say something," she said before closing her eyes. Kanae had only used her actions and expressions for the scene. That was easier because that didn't have lines but she had to consider what to do.

If Kyoko was B-ko however, she would be happy with the friendship and so an apology wasn't necessary. A good friendship wasn't something that Kyoko had neither the luxury or the desire to end and so she would prefer to sacrifice something else. As Kyoko looked across at the soda she thought about how she had seen friends share a drink before. That meant trust and closeness.

Maybe she could use that as at least part of the reconciliation scene. It would use the product and allow the viewer to feel the friendship associated with it. Yes. This might work. This might be a really really good plan.

The only problem was that she didn't like to drink soda.

 **End of Act Forty One**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 40**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, The Real Jackie-O


	43. Act 42 - A Stolen Routine

**Act Forty Two – A Stolen Routine**

Kyoko sighed as she picked up the bottle and can. She wasn't too big a fan of soda and to execute her plan, she would need to drink it. That was a small problem but it felt like a problem nonetheless. "I don't like to drink soft drinks," she thought aloud but was in shock when she heard somebody else there with her.

"That's too bad," Ushiro commented and Kyoko turned to him nervously. "If you get chosen, you have to drink them during the commercial anyways because you're advertising the drinks. If you can't drink the product then you are not qualified. You definitely won't pass." Ushiro began as Kyoko looked at him with wide eyes. Wasn't he the worst person who could hear her comment? She really was going to instantly fail this.

"Nooo!" Kyoko yelled desperately, she ran towards the director with outstretched arms. "I don't want to get disqualified," she panicked, "Give me a chance! I'll drink it! I'll definitely drink it like I love it! Don't disqualify me! I will definitely drink it later!" she begged and Ushiro blinked.

"Oh," he asked surprised, "You will?"

Kyoko paused, did that mean that she would get disqualified because she had admitted her dislike for the product. That couldn't happen to her. She couldn't let Moko down like that, she had wanted for them to reach their dreams together. Still, she had actually said her plan to him and that would soften the impact. It was supposed to show a great moment of bonding sharing the Kyurara, hopefully he would still enjoy the scene she had chosen.

"Huh?" she asked and Ushiro stayed still looking at her.

"Drink Kyurara?" he asked and Kyoko froze. That was her surprise for the judges but it did mean that she was worthy, right? This wasn't a complete disqualification.

…..

…..

Once Kyoko was making her way back to the room with the other contestants, she groaned a little. She had said her idea out loud and to the director no less. That was stupid, she was a dummy because the reaction wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't have as big of an impression. However, there were still things that she _hadn't_ said including the context of the idea. There were still ways to impress the judges despite the biggest part – the using of the Kyurara – was half of the idea.

Kyoko pushed her body against the wall hoping that some hole would open up in the earth and pull her down to consume her body. She was going to ruin this for both of them and then neither one of them would get the commercial.

Kyoko looked across to see the black clouds surrounding Kanae, she was staring at her in a mix of horror and fury. Kyoko paused. She realized how she must look and even if she had given away the idea, she didn't want for Moko to feel defeated. She wanted to preserve their friendship.

Kyoko knew that she had to have confidence in herself because you had to have confidence in oneself to inspire confidence in other people. Kanae getting worried wouldn't be good for either of them. They had to work together as a team and she had to lead this time. She wanted to do as good a job as she had of being the scene leader.

Kyoko put her hand up to try to show her confidence. Maybe she had ruined some of the impact from the surprise but it was a good idea. They could make it work wonderfully despite not talking to one another. Kyoko was still attempting to boost confidence in herself when Erika said something that made her pause, her body starting to feel an ice cold chill running through it.

"Sorry," Erika said, "but before we start. I want to borrow Kyurara."

Kyoko paused. What? Erika was using Kyurara as well? Had she been stupid to think that her plan was original, her eyes widened and she stood frozen. If Erika even incorporated Kyurara in her scene then it would leave less of an impact when it was her turn. Ushiro also looked confused. He had heard that from Kyoko but he had thought it was a good idea.

"Is this okay? It's already been opened," the assistant director said as he passed them a bottle and Kyoko felt that she was watching the world in slow motion.

"We're ready to start," Erika said and Kyoko watched the group feeling a pain in her stomach. First of all Erika's partner started to sing, it was a beautiful voice, Kyoko had to admit to that but that part was a little different than her. Maybe it would be a different idea. Erika came in, dancing around her and smiling as it looked like a duet. The two pretended to be friends and the dancing and singing complimented one another. This was more symbolic and abstract, Kyoko's was more down to earth.

The other girl drank some of the Kyurara before holding out the bottle to Erika, "Do you want some?" she asked and Erika paused, looking surprised.

"Can I?" she asked and the girl nodded before they shared the same bottle showing the feeling of friendship and reconciliation. Kyoko froze. Their ending of sharing the Kyurara was the same. That was the idea that she had worked on. How could it have been the same as hers?

"Thank you," Erika said proudly.

Well, hell _had_ swallowed Kyoko up. Her idea had been used by their rival and she now had nothing. She had wanted to prove to everyone that she and Moko deserved to be picked and she mostly wanted to help Moko realize her dreams as an actress but this was too much. How on earth had this happened? She had to think of something quick. Kyoko stared at the floor as if she were looking into the afterlife. She had to think quickly of something else despite how perfect that first scene she had thought up had been. She couldn't just repeat it.

"Hey," Kanae said as she stared at her, "What happened to you?"

Kyoko looked horrified as well, she remained silent for a moment before whispering, "Exactly the same."

What could she do now, what should she do now. The drinking and sharing the Kyurara was the same as she had thought up. Their ideas were the same but to do the same thing would definitely appear as copying. She had failed and worse of all, she had failed Moko. "The ideas," she said slowly, "they were what I wanted to do, exactly the same."

There was no chance of them leaving a stronger impression of them if they did the same scene, things didn't work like that but Kyoko needed to do _something_ , she couldn't just stop, she had to think of something.

"What are you saying?" Kanae asked in shock as she felt her body tense. This couldn't be happening. It was too much of a dangerous coincidence to be real. Kanae saw Kyoko staring into space, "Wai…wait a minute," she panicked. This coincidence was too much, they were directly after the group that had used the same idea and Kanae knew that it would look like she was copying them.

Kanae gasped. Erika had gone to spy on Kyoko and stolen her idea. It didn't matter that it was Kyoko's idea though, they couldn't just make a scene in front of everyone with that kind of accusation. It would put them in a bad light and they couldn't prove it anyway. Kanae started to stress, they had had time before and now they didn't, what were they going to do.

Kyoko however was in battle mode and she sometimes thought better in battle mode. She was determined to do well on this so that she and Moko could defeat Erika and having Erika steal her plan was making the anger rise in Kyoko. She had to do something better and she was _going_ to do something better.

"What's wrong, you two?" Ushiro asked and they both turned to look at the director. "Is there something a matter? Haven't you decided what to do?" he asked and Kanae opened her mouth. They couldn't be disqualified already.

Kyoko paused and said in a low voice, "We'll do it," this surprised everyone and Kanae started to panic. What kind of an idea could she come up with in only a couple of minutes. Did she prepare a back up plan or something. "We'll start right now. Excuse me," she turned to the assistant director, "Please lend us some Kyurara," she said as the ominous aura swept around the room.

"They're over there," the assistant director said as he led Kyoko over to the back room. Kyoko followed him, not listening to Kanae who was calling after her. Was she actually going to copy the scene? They wouldn't leave a good impression on anyone if they just copied what was just done.

Kyoko took one of the bottles and one of the cans from the shelf and the assistant director looked at her surprised, "Ah, for the both of you?" he asked and Kyoko was hesitant about telling him the idea. She had already lost her surprise once and though nobody could be listening, she couldn't do it again. "For the drinks, this one would be better," he advised as he handed the bottle to her.

Kyoko shook her head, "No," she told him and the man looked at her in surprise, "This is fine." He nodded slowly and then froze as Kyoko dropped down into a squat and started shaking both the bottle and the can violently. She did know that they had different outcomes, right? They wouldn't be the same and the can was about to explode. Did she know that shaking it that hard would cause it to explode?

As Kyoko came back to the room, she looked at Kanae and then the director. "Sorry for the wait," she apologized. Kyoko handed the bottle to Kanae whilst she held onto the can. "Moko-san," she said and Kanae panicked. Was she seriously suggesting that they use the same idea? They couldn't use the same idea and leave a good impression. It didn't work that way.

"Moko-san," Kyoko repeated as she took in Kanae's shock and nervousness. Kyoko looked at Kanae as if telling her that she would lead her on a new adventure despite this just being a commercial. "Follow my lead," she advised and Kanae looked at her in shock as they took their spot in front of the judges.

Kyoko had given such a feeling of confidence though that Kanae knew she could trust in her. She didn't know what would happen but she knew that she could trust in Kyoko.

"Now then," the assistant director called out, "Let's begin."

 **End of Act Forty Two**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act Forty One**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, Paulagato

 **I am so anxiously awaiting the scenes with Ren again for this fic but I want to really show the manga despite this following the manga. Also, lol, an anon accused me of not having original ideas. This is my only fic that I would consider unoriginal.**


	44. Act 43 - Splash in the Face

**AN:**

First of all, I really want to apologize to anyone who feels hurt by my decision, I don't intend to hurt you but after the latest chapter, I am starting to greatly dislike recent Kyoko. I can't write when I dislike one of the characters that much. In fact this is the only Skip Beat chapter I don't feel like I'm attacking Ren's character by writing. I plan on returning when I have myself calmed down a little and don't feel hurt. Thank you for giving me my time.

 **AN2:** I'm going to start putting five Skip Beat fics in at a time (in order of last update) after cycling through my current fics for other fandoms. Again, thank you for giving me my needed time.

 **Act 43 – Splash in the Face**

Kyoko quickly turned her back to Kanae. The main objective right here was to think about being B-ko and how A-ko would react to her. Despite not really knowing how this would turn out, Kyoko knew that she had to try to do her best to lead Kanae with her acting. Even if Kanae was chosen and she wasn't, that would be enough. Kyoko looked at the soda in her hand, she had kept the can and given Kanae the bottle.

She turned before pulling the tab on the soda can which sprayed Kanae with it and caused her to step back in surprise, she was attempting to keep her cool and Kyoko had to give her credit for that. She was sure if it was Erika, she would have broken out of character just because she was sprayed a tiny bit. It was enough to get the attention from the judge's panel though.

Kyoko kept steady in her posture with her hands on the open can as she looked at Kanae who was soaked with the spray from the soda. She had to stop herself from laughing at the dazed and confused look. Kanae definitely was all sticky and Kyoko felt that she would never see her in this manner ever again.

"Aren't they supposed to make up?" one of the other girls whispered to her partner as they watched the scene, this obviously wasn't what anyone was thinking would happen.

Kyoko patted her neck before saying in the way a low-ranking gang member might, "Payback," she said with a challenge in her eyes and Kanae felt her mouth open. She was confused what to do. Would friends treat one another in this way? She stayed in a frozen motion. Kyoko had surprised her and Kanae had never let herself be surprised by anyone else's acting.

Kyoko grinned as she leaned down in a more cute pose, "What's wrong?" she asked taking a half step forward, "Did you think I was serious?" she asked and Kanae blinked as she held onto the bottle.

"Are you messing with me?" Kanae asked as she acted just as a girl would in the situation they were portraying. Kyoko stuck her tongue out and Kanae opened the bottle top. "Take this," she said before the soda spilled onto her own clothes instead of shooting out as it had done so from the can. Kanae squealed in panic and looked seriously flustered as she saw what happened which caused Kyoko to actually laugh at her.

She had to admit that this type of pitiful Moko-chan was very adorable and it was getting harder and harder not to laugh. She had to let go and fortunately Kanae did so with her. This diffused all tension from the scene and soon not only they had started laughing but the entire panel of judges was laughing as well. The laughter echoed through the walls and that lifted Kyoko's heart. Had she been able to do the work successfully.

Kanae smiled before lifting her head, "Do you forgive me?" she asked and Kyoko smiled before lifting the soda can and winked. Kanae clinked her bottle against the soda can and they both drank. Kanae smiled happily.

"Thank you," she said and Kyoko had a feeling that there was more than just acting a character expressed in those words. There was a peaceful silence. The scene was over. They had escaped a situation where they had both known the high danger that they were in. Hopefully they would be chosen but right now, that decision was in the hands of fate.

…

…

Kyoko sat beside Kanae's chair. She looked up at Kanae with wide eyes that sparkled as if there was magic glitter within them. Kanae pushed Kyoko back feeling a little uncomfortable with this extra attention. "Definitely there is a presence that is undeniable," Kyoko said happily, "that is sprouting inside two people. Friendship."

Kanae pushed her forehead back very annoyed, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Don't look at me with those weird eyes," she commented starting to pull back from Kyoko's want for them to have a deeper bond. "Didn't I say this and that are separate things? Geez, they're gonna announce the result of the audition next."

Kyoko smiled happily as she did pull back, she knew that Kanae was nervous about people not allowing her to continue to act but Kyoko had a feeling that this was going to turn out in Kanae's favor. "It'll be okay," she announced and Kanae watched her. "I am confident that you passed."

Kanae looked at her with a steady glance, "I won't be the only one to pass," she told Kyoko who looked at her with surprised. "You will too," she tried to assure her and Kyoko blinked again. She wasn't sure if that was correct but she hoped it was. Had she proven herself enough to have the decision in her favor.

…..

…

Kyoko was still feeling very giddy that she and Moko-san had both been chosen to appear in the commercial. This was going to be so much fun launching their acting careers together and developing their friendship. Kyoko was happy that she got to share the moment with Kanae.

"First," Ushiro told them in a very professional manner, "I want to warn you, do not get sick or injured before we shoot the commercial. Also, remember to take care of your health and your appearance to the best of your ability. This is just like breathing, it's something you guys must do anyways because it doesn't matter whether you're a newcomer or a big time celebrity, getting your salary is what matters. Remember your body doesn't only belong to you. Therefore, if you cannot take care of your body in the entertainment world, or think that 'it's my body' and don't take good care of it, then that means you lack professionalism."

Ushiro had a dark shadow looming behind him which told of how serious he was. It was one that people knew not to cross and that he must be given attention and discipline. He loomed over them, "To me, people who do not have professionalism are the most annoying."

"Understand," Ushiro continued as both Kyoko and Kanae looked as if they were staring into a sinkhole leading directly to the underworld, "I'm definitely not trying to scare you. If you two get injured before we start shooting the commercial or even during the commercial, I will not hesitate to replace you two."

Kyoko sat up straight. She stared at Ushiro, he was a really demanding man who still looked like a hooligan. The two things when they were combined brought an even more intimidating image to mind. She was going to do her best on the way to become an actress.

Kyoko watched as the paperwork was done and then the judges led them to the door, "Thank you very much for today," both Kyoko and Kanae said as they bowed low.

The head of the Kando company smiled, "Good work today, be careful on your way home," he said and Ushiro looked to the two girls.

"Mogami-san," he said before calling her over to talk. Kyoko nervously took a deep breath and Ushiro crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow which showed his curiosity. "I wanted to ask you about how you used the Kyurara during the second round."

Kyoko nodded slowly, "Yes," she said hoping it wouldn't be about wasting the soda. She would be willing to pay for it if that was the case.

"I want to know about whether you knew that the bottle and can would react differently if shaken?" he continued and Kyoko nodded. "You do know that the bottled drink doesn't burst with the same power of the canned drink, correct?"

Kyoko smiled with a nod, she had learned that much from just the soda that Shotaro's mother had given her as a child. She also worked in a restaurant where she handled both bottles and cans and had seen young children with both and parents who had needed a towel to clean their little ones up.

"Is that why you gave Kotonami-san the bottle?" Ushiro continued and Kyoko had nodded. "Good work," Ushiro praised before giving her a thumbs up. "I loved it."

…..

…..

As they walked through the busy streets of Tokyo, Kyoko looked around at all the brightly colored stores and the people who were going off together and shopping with friends. "Yo, Moko-san," she said with a bright smile and Kanae hummed. "Do you go shopping with friends often?" she asked and Kanae paused for a moment, still keeping the rather serious look on her face.

"Huh?" Kanae asked and Kyoko grinned happily.

"This is my first time," she announced before explaining herself, "This is my first time walking down the street with a female friend."

Kanae stared at her. Kyoko was waiting for her to start arguing that they weren't friends but instead she just stood there with a look on her face and an inquisitive word upon her lips, "Why?"

Kyoko paused before saying in a very blunt manner, "Because I'm not popular with classmates and people." Kyoko suddenly spotted something and grabbed Kanae, she dashed towards whatever she saw. There was a loud banging and crashing from the area they had just been in but Kyoko didn't turn around. She was too busy with her date with her friend.

"This dress is so pretty," Kyoko pointed excitedly at a mannequin who was standing with a designer dress that was very suited to a younger woman, someone of their age or a couple of years older. "It really suits you Moko-san," Kyoko commented and Kanae turned to her.

"Really?" she asked as she sounded a little bored, "I don't really like this kind of clothing though."

There was silence as Kyoko tilted her head back but then shaking it and started pouting, "No! No way! No way! No way!" she said which shocked Kanae and she had to take another step away from her. "You should say something like, it suits you more Kyoko"

Kanae stared at her as if she had lost her mind, "What kind of thinking is that?"

"Because…" Kyoko insisted, "This is how girls talk to each other."

Kanae frowned, "Where did you hear that from?" she asked before starting to walk off and tried to put her blinders on so that she wouldn't get sucked into the whirlwind of Kyoko Mogami. "Only people who are pretending to be your friend would say something like that."

"No way! Don't take away my hopes!" Kyoko continued to squeal and Kanae kept walking forwards. She didn't want to encourage the type of behavior that Kyoko had.

"It's true," Kanae said firmly, "because when girls gather together, they only gossip about other people's problems. That's why I don't like to befriend other people." Kanae scowled as she reflected on previous memories and Kyoko paused, looking at her with a deep and longing pause, she wished to reach out for her.

"Moko-san, did you get backstabbed by your friends before?" she asked wanting to hug her but she knew that Kanae would probably throw her off of her, "you should stop being friends with those kinds of people."

"It's not _my_ friends," Kanae tried to stress, "those people are like mosquitoes to me!"

Kyoko paused and blinked hard, "I see," she said as she processed the information and Kanae felt that there was a weight on her back, "That means you never had a good friend before."

"Is there a problem with that!?" Kanae snapped and Kyoko laughed softly.

"No," she insisted and Kanae stared at her, "That's good."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Kanae snapped back as she struggled to keep a tight grip on her emotions. Kyoko laughed.

"Because," the chestnut haired girl said happily, "This way I would be your first good friend."

There was a joint silence between them but Kanae stayed silent. She was too busy looking at Kyoko's smiling face with her pure happy smile and thinking about what Kyoko had given her today. That kind of friendship wasn't one that you just wanted to push away without thinking about the benefits of returning it.

 **End of Act 43**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 42**

Guest, H-Nala, JeremyVD, Kaname671, Kris XD, The Real Jackie O


	45. Act 44 - Join Me In the Dirt

**Act 44 – Join Me in the Dirt**

Kyoko tilted her head up with excitement as she and Kanae stood at a table in a busy ice cream parlor. Kyoko had treated Kanae to ice cream despite her own financial situation because that was something that Kyoko had always wanted to do with a female friend. The idea of sharing an ice cream or cool drink during the summer was one of the moments of two girls bonding that Kyoko wanted to experience.

"I always wanted to go shopping with a friend," she announced with a huge smile, "and eat ice cream with them." Kyoko closed her eyes as she basked in the sunlight. Today she had been happier than she had in a really long time. In fact, only Ren the liar had given her these feelings before. She ate the ice cream happily, ignoring the looks that Kanae was getting which were divided between enjoying the ice cream and wanting to keep her slim figure.

As they finished the ice cream and walked over to a fountain near the middle of the shopping area, Kyoko felt herself relax and stretched her arms out behind her. "So delicious," she smiled, "the ice cream was so delicious."

"Yeah," Kabae said although she looked like she was sinking into a strange sort of depression.

"Eating with a friend can really make a person happy," Kyoko commented as she continued to smile. She attempted to get all images of Ren out of her mind. She hadn't told anyone about his eye color and that didn't seem to be the sort of thing to tell despite how he had played around with her. "There must be a magic spell with the person you like, it'll make everything that's already delicious even more delicious."

Kanae looked at her surprised. Kyoko knew that she was alone in these thoughts and that Kanae didn't think like that and she started to get even more embarrassed. Without realizing what she was doing, Kyoko pushed Kanae away whilst laughing happily.

"Oh my gosh! What am I saying?" she asked, "this sounds like a confession."

Kyoko had pushed Kanae off balance and as the two of them stood in front of the fountain, Kyoko heard a loud splash and they both turned In unison. Erika was in the fountain as if she had just appeared out of nowhere. Had she been shopping here too? What was the likelihood of the three of them being in the same area so soon?

"Erika-san?" Kyoko asked weakly as she looked at her. Was she stalking them? Was she that desperate?

"What are you doing?" Kanae asked as she looked at her rival. This was supposed to be a time of celebration, she couldn't say that Erika stalking her hadn't been on her mind but Kyoko definitely looked shocked.

"Kotonami Kanae," Erika said very slowly before turning around with a deep and hateful glare, she looked right into Kanae's eyes. "How dare you ridicule me this way?" she asked in a low voice and Kyoko and Kanae both stared at her, blinking in surprise of what she was saying.

"Don't think you'll be safe!" she yelled as she tried to attack them and as they ran away, Kyoko paused and saw that the three bodyguards or manservants that Erika had had with her were trapping Kanae and preventing her from moving. Kyoko looked at them with wide eyes. What was going on here?

"Moko-san!" she called out, wanting nothing more than her friend's protection.

"I heard everything," Erika said proudly and Kanae and Kyoko both looked at her with a slight confusion on their faces. "You would be replaced if you get hurt, right?" she asked them and they felt the panic and alarm. Was that her plan? Was she really willing to play _that_ dirty in order to get the role in the commercial? Was it really worth it?

Erika raised her hand in front of Kanae where there was a sharp ring on her hand. "Then, if I used this to slap your face, would you get hurt?" she asked in a superior manner and Kanae turned away, gritting her teeth but unable to get out of the hold. "Would you?"

Kanae looked at her before her eyes widened, "You would even use violence just to win!?" she accused her before feeling her heart beat in her chest and the fire within her rise, "Then no matter where you go, all you would learn is this. Why can't you understand that _this_ is why your acting skills don't improve?"

Erika pulled back, her eyes widening in surprise as the words started to sink in. She took a step back and her hand started to shake as she had it lifted. She felt that Kanae was calling her out and standing up to her and she suddenly felt a pain in her. It was as if her ears were opening for the first time and she could really listen.

"Everytime," Kanae continued, "everything when things don't go your way, you would use deceitful means instead of your true talent. Have you ever felt that you reached your limit and felt that you lost because you really had no solutions!? Knowing that it's impossible, but still trying to think of solutions to make it possible. You never tried something like that, right!?"

Kyoko was frozen as she saw the scene in front of her. Before Kanae had started speaking the words that were in her heart, Kyoko had wanted to come up with a plan to save her friend and take care of her. She had been struggling with knowing her own body limits and strength. She had wanted to protect her but had been afraid to take action with the three men.

Now it seemed that Kanae was defending herself, standing up for herself and Kyoko was proud. There was a healthy and positive energy that was radiating from Kanae.

"You," Kanae said as Kyoko watched in wonder, "even if you tripped and fell into a pit, you only want to remain in your beautiful world. You and I live in two different worlds. People like you who live in another world, can't compete with me from the start!" Kyoko put a hand over her mouth as she felt the energy and boldness that Kanae had reflect onto her. She was proud of her friend and she could see Erika starting to wake up and face reality.

"If you want to beat me then you must leave _that_ world and fall into the pit!" Kanae challenged her and Erika looked at her hurt, it was probably one of the first times that somebody had said this to her. "When you do…when you do…I will recognize you as my rival."

Erika turned her hand next to her leg and sighed. She wasn't going to beat Kanae by hitting her. The door had been opened for a challenge and Erika knew that one of her biggest traits was her stubbornness. Her eyes widened as if she were seeing a new world and she wanted to exist in that world and despite everything that Erika had done, Kyoko wanted to exist in that beautiful world as well.

"Can't forgive…" Erika said quietly and slowly, the hurt evident in the way she was speaking. "How dare you say something like that to me," she stated before standing with her fists at her side. She managed to concentrate on Kanae who had treated her in a way that no one else had and Erika looked like she needed this push to prove herself.

"I will definitely make you regret telling me to leave that world!" Erika declared as she pouted but left Kanae alone. She wouldn't hurt her. It wouldn't be worth hurting her and proving her right.

"I will wait for you," Kanae said. She couldn't forgive everything that the two of them had been through but she was giving Erika a chance. They would face one another on equal footing. That was how it would work and as the sun started to set, Kyoko felt the joy of spending the day with her friend.

…

…

At the end of the day, Kyoko and Kanae were riding the bus away from the shopping center together and Kyoko was looking at Kanae with super sparkly eyes. She had her hands cupped together and was acting as if someone had covered her with glitter. "You were so cool," she praised and Kanae flinched away from her.

"I was only telling her what I heard from someone else," Kanae attempted to defend herself. Kyoko continued to smile to her and then started to laugh.

"I'm really emotional," she explained as she put a hand to her heart, "but by using what I said to you before means that what I've said stirred your emotions, right?" she asked and Kanae stiffened feeling embarrassed by this human contact. She looked away, trying to avoid Kyoko's gaze. Kyoko however kept smiling.

"This makes me really happy!" she grinned still laughing as if she had been cast in a Disney channel movie. She leaned back and there was a glow around her that was reminiscent of a new spring, there were flowers blossoming and it was as if this day had cleansed Kyoko's heart, "because this makes it seem like we're good friends."

Kanae quickly looked at her. Kyoko had been saying that they were friends all day and now she had changed what she had been saying and it _seemed_ like they were good friends? Had Kanae done something to get demoted and if so, what? Kanae turned to Kyoko before seeing that she was now in a deep sleep despite having been in the middle of a conversation. Kanae laughed as she realized that this was usually impossible. It had been about three seconds that Kyoko had used to fall asleep and falling asleep like this in public was irresponsible but at least Kanae felt that she had a purpose now. She could watch out for Kyoko as she slept.

Kyoko had really started to change her in only a short amount of time. Kanae laughed again.

"Moko-san," Kyoko said in her sleep and Kanae turned to look at her, watching her, "commercial," Kyoko said in her sleeping state again, "let's work hard."

Kanae studied Kyoko. They had beaten the audition together, they had headed towards their dreams together and Kyoko had stopped her from running away. She would be an actress in a commercial and from there she would get noticed and this was all because Kyoko had given her the confidence to be herself. Kyoko had cleared the roadblocks that were in the way between her and her dreams and Kanae wanted to show her gratitude towards that fact.

Kanae pulled Kyoko's Love Me book out from her bag and turned to a free page before placing a 100% stamp on the page. Maybe this small gesture would be enough to show her deep gratitude and her desire to be friends with her and to work hard and support one another. Kanae smiled to Kyoko again before writing:

 _Today is the most memorable day in my life. I hope this advertisement will help us to be one step closer to our dreams. Let's work hard! Thank you, Kanae Kotonami_

Kanae smiled again. Usually she didn't want to give into this kind of emotion but Kyoko was bringing her guard down, it was only right for her to treasure this as well.

 **End of Act 44**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 43**

H-Nala, Kaname671

 **AN:** And now for temporary manager Kyoko!


	46. Act 45 - Spiders and Sneezes

**AN:** Haha, I misjudged guys. Well it seems like manager!Kyoko will be next chapter 😊

 **Act 45 – Spiders and Sneezes**

Ren heard a loud sneeze before him and his attention spiked, he quickly turned around and took a few steps towards Yashiro. His face showed his concern and his long strides made it so that he could be off set and to Yashiro in only a matter of seconds.

"Yashiro-san," Ren said concerned as he approached him further, "You okay? Why don't you rest a little?" he suggested but Yashiro waved him off. Ren took a deep breath in. He was concerned for his manager who was just as much of a professional as he was. They usually made an attempt to battle through things together.

"I'm fine," Yashiro told him, "It's not a problem."

Ren looked to the group and took a deep breath trying to come up with a solution that might be to everyone's benefit. He smiled weakly, food wasn't one of his absolute favorite topics of discussion but when someone felt ill, food was one way of making things a bit better.

"Do you want to eat?" he asked, "After the shoot we are probably going to lunch." Ren gestured to where the bento boxes were being given out and Yashiro laughed softly.

"Well," he commented, "I can eat."

He was joyful in this before a young actress came up to the two of them. She seemed very nervous about approaching Ren but they had just done a scene together. Ren was assuming she was trying to be as bold as possible. "Uh, if you don't mind, may I eat with you guys?" she asked. Ren opened his mouth to answer but was cut off. He looked away and then saw Maria with an evil gleam in her eyes.

"Of course you can," she said and Ren stared at her. He hadn't expected for her to be in the vicinity. He hadn't seen Maria outside the halls of LME for weeks, it was rare for her to show up on a set where he was and even more rare when the president didn't seem to be anywhere in sight.

"It's a great pleasure to have lunch with you," Maria said sweetly but Ren was suspicious of this angelic nature. "I prepared many sweets too. I hope you by all means enjoy them." As Maria said that, she opened a box where spiders were crawling over every part of it, too many to even count. Ren laughed a little as he looked at the box. This was one of Maria's pranks and it was a good thing that he enjoyed animals and insects. She would never be able to scare him with them.

The girl screamed loudly and Ren had to feel a little sorry for her as she ran off. Maria laughed coldly and Ren laughed slightly, he knew that she had problems but the two of them were born into well off families with no clue how to raise them. He knew about Maria's history with her father and how he didn't know how to interact just like his parents with somebody like him.

"Stop hanging around Ren, you old woman!" Maria called out before sticking her tongue out and making a rude expression. "Are you thick skinned or just blind?"

Ren laughed softly as he got down to Maria's level. He smiled kindly to her, already seeing a lot of similarities between Maria and Kyoko when she was younger. He tried to guard his heart again. Maria could exist in the world of Ren Tsuruga but the memory of Kyoko couldn't. He sighed. He had to feel bad for the woman though, she was attracted to him but he didn't want that. He didn't want the headache of all of that.

"Ren!" Maria yelled as she ran into his arms, "Long time no see!" she squealed, "I miss you so much"

"Yeah, long time no see" he told her and Maria laughed as she hugged him close. "Did you come here alone?" he asked her as Maria hung to his shirt and mumbled something happily into his chest. He really did feel like she was an extended family member to him. The president was family already so it made sense.

Maria pulled back and continued to smile, "Nope," she told him, "I have a band with me."

Ren blinked before he heard the sound of instruments playing and turned around in shock. The shock grew larger when he found it was a huge marching band. What on earth had led to the marching band being here? This wasn't something that had ever happened to him before. They had appeared from nowhere but there was one explanation that made sense despite how stealthily they had snuck up on them.

"Why!? Those people!? When did they get here!?" Yashiro said as he panicked and Ren felt sorry for him that he had still not become used to the president, Ren had seen it first hand as a child that the president was often like this even when he had just come and stayed with his parents on an international trip. He didn't want to share this information. It wasn't nepotism if you were skilled at your job right.

Ren focused on the sound of hooves and laughed, "Here come…" he said and the horse galloped up to them with the president riding on it, there was a huge banner behind him reading the LME full name.

The president smiled at Ren as he gave a peace signal, "Hey, Ren" he told him and Ren chuckled softly trying to keep his cool. "Long time no see. Been working hard?"

Ren laughed a little knowing that only he knew the reason for the special attention and favoritism that the president would show him. It was his relationship with the whole family, Ren was just the youngest member of his clan. "President," he laughed, "of course. Such an eye-catching entrance…why are you here?" he asked again and Lory smiled as he dismounted.

"I only came to look around," he said and Ren laughed awkwardly.

"To watch us film?" he asked. He wondered if something had been said about him that the president was worried about. Usually he didn't need to be concerned about his work, he had high standards and he consistently met them. The president wouldn't have any negative words on that, would he?

"No," Lory replied, "Only came here by convenience. Maria really wanted to see you so I took her along."

Maria blushed happily and put her hands to her cheeks, "That's cause I heard you are here, I couldn't help myself. Women are helpless against love's trap," she said and Ren felt a little nervous at having her say that. He tried to focus on the other words that were spoken about, it wasn't wise for him to ask more about Maria's crush on him.

"Convenience?" he asked her, "Where are you supposed to go?"

"Well," Maria said happily as she got down and turned to Ren looking very eager in her expression. "I heard that the commercial shooting ends today! It's her first job, so I prepared and brought her things to participate!" she said and Ren blinked. She had another actress that she was interested in and a shoot happening near them that Ren wasn't aware of, what was going on?

"Commercial shooting? Who?" Ren asked confused but saw the giant grin on Maria's face as if saying that she knew a secret that she could surprise and dazzle Ren with. She wanted to see what his emotions would be and how surprised that his friend was doing so well at her job. Her friend who liked curse dolls and magic was doing some extremely exciting advertising shoot.

…..

…..

Ren froze, his whole body turning numb as he watched the shoot. Kyoko looked absolutely gorgeous. She was wearing a school uniform and after throwing some daisies upon Kotonami-san, she had run around with her getting the feelings of friendship and freedom and happiness down and Ren felt that he was a child who would never get invited to play. He shouldn't expect anything from Kyoko anyway. He had been the one to fail her. If he had explained from the very beginning that it had only been a game to him when they were young and he never meant her pain, it would have been better than their current situation.

"Kyoko," Yashiro said as he watched them, "She passed the audition and it's also the other Love Me member as well," he stated before continuing to watch them. Ren tensed more, he felt that he shouldn't be there with them. He wasn't supposed to be happy and he didn't want to cause her more pain. It was best for him to leave beautiful things alone. "Impressive, impressive," Yashiro commented.

"Yes, very impressive," Maria smiled, "I've seen big sister at the training section as well. She's really cool," Maria said in admiration and Ren smiled hearing that. He wanted her to be happy. Even if he wasn't there for her to want to share her happiness with, it was good that she was happy. He nodded knowing that Lory was sponsoring her despite Ren making several attempts to direct his own money for that need.

He smiled as he thought about how she was improving her life. Even if he never spoke to her again then it would be worth the money by being able to see her become strong like this. Maria smiled at him but Ren turned towards the director. Was acting going to be her true passion? Was acting what she needed most, just like him? She wasn't doing it because of him, right?

He heard the director call cut and wondered whether he should leave the group or not. There was no way that Kyoko wanted to see him.

…..

…..

Ushiro walked over to the two Love Me member who had been playing, "You two acted well! Good job" he called after them and they turned around to face him. "You can go back now," he directed and Kyoko felt herself fall down into the flowers. She stretched her hand out and smiled.

"So tired, how long have we been doing 'natural comedy' now?" she asked feeling very exhausted by everything and Kyoko laughed. She was tired too but she had been acting and getting a step further in her career whilst enjoying her time in the sun and with Kanae, _and_ she got to wear a school uniform. She hated to think about it but after the argument between herself and Ren, her school had been an issue she had ignored.

"You are so spirited," Kanae sighed. She closed her eyes before seeing a huge marching band start playing. She scrambled back and Kyoko sat beside her, the two of them were incredibly shocked at the fanfare. Kyoko saw the president and paused. They had done a good job, right? Had he come here for any particular reason?

…..

…..

Ushiro stood before the two Love Me girls and the president, he had had the crew gather up all the props and was getting the final pieces of equipment back with him. "The cover is well done but the outcome of the commercial depends on how I do it," he stated before looking at the president before turning back to Kyoko and Kanae. "I have confidence in getting the product and you popular. When the shooting finishes, I'll inform the management, just wait for it."

Kanae and Kyoko nodded as they stood there enthusiastically. They both bowed, saying their thank yous before turning to go off with Maria. Kyoko turned to see the president waiting behind them. She wondered what he had to say about them. He wasn't going to tell the director not to use LME as their company, right? After all, they did still work there despite not being in the acting section.

"By the way," Maria smiled saying a sentence that would lead to a dozen questions that weren't able to be answered, "Ren was here to see you."

 **End of Act 45**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the Guest for reviewing Act 44**


	47. Act 46 - Working Roles

AN: I don't have any set update times on this fic, rather I'm going to put it to be the sixth fic to be updated with some others so depending on my schedule is when you'll be seeing more or less updates. Thank you

 **Act 46 – Working Roles**

Kyoko remained very still as she listened to Maria's words. Ren had really come to see her. Maybe that meant that he was ready to tell her everything and he was ready to make amends, if that was correct then Kyoko would want to make things right too or at least make it so that they could work on being okay. She sighed. Maybe she shouldn't though, it was possible for him to trick her again.

"He was only here during lunch though," Maria tried to explain and Kyoko nodded slowly. It made sense. He was probably very busy with his acting and trying to do his work properly. Still, she wished that she at least knew a little bit more about him. He couldn't have changed that much from the young boy she had known and even though he had lied to her as a child, he had still helped her and played with her and listened to her. That amazing friend couldn't have just evaporated.

Kyoko closed her eyes, should she go and see him and try to work this out? No. She had to move forwards in her life and forget about the men who had abused her. Abuse was more than physical and she couldn't think of another word for what Ren had done to her. He was teasing with her and playing with her emotions, she would be a fool to go back to that.

There was a loud beep from the car and Kyoko looked up to see Kanae exit wearing her Love Me uniform, she looked at her confused and Kyoko blinked back. "Oh, it's you," Kanae said bluntly. "What're you doing? Hurry up and change."

Kyoko froze, her face seeming to become less and less expressive as she realized that this school uniform was one that she would never have the chance to wear again. She wanted to pretend to be in school and meeting the other students. She loved studying and she was intelligent but Shotaro had stolen that from her. She paused, her face losing color but soon found Kanae to be laughing loudly as she faced her.

"What?" Kanae asked as she shivered a little, "You really don't want to take it off?"

Kyoko felt her cheeks redden as Kanae managed to comment on exactly how Kyoko was feeling. Kyoko's face was a deep red as she protested, "N…no! That's not it. That's not it."

Kanae pointed a finger at her and smirked, "Liar, you were so happy when you heard that we were going to wear uniforms, plus I saw you roleplaying in the classroom alone," Kyoko's eyes widened as her whole body started turning a deeper shade of red. She had played as a student and teacher on her own but she hadn't thought that anybody would be watching her.

Kyoko rushed into the trailer, 'Moko-san, is so mean!" she yelled out, "She stalked me, so rude!"

Kyoko sighed as she put her hand to the blouse of the costume uniform and sighed, she wanted to be just like a girl her age and attend school and think about acting in the future. She wanted to be someone who she could be proud of and to have a shining new life. Maybe some kids hated school but Kyoko wanted the opportunity. It had been something that Shotaro had robbed her of. Yet another thing he had stolen from her.

Still, she would remember the feeling of this uniform and the joy of the commercial that she had filmed. She had to keep living in the joy and hang on for the good moments. Hopefully there would be some good moments, she just needed to forget about high school.

…

…

Ren's eyes widened as he saw Yashiro coming down the hallway of LME the following day wrapped up in a huge coat with a mask on. He definitely looked like he needed to be at home and rest. It was almost comical how sick he was and how many layers he had on but Ren didn't feel the cruelness of laughing. Yashiro sneezed again and Ren rushed over to him.

"Your cold is worse today," he commented, "and it's so obvious, it'd be better if you rest."

Yashiro turned to Ren before shaking his head in a determined manner, "No, no, no worries," he said with a slight wave trying to gesture to Ren that he shouldn't be worried about his condition. "It's not a big deal, don't worry." Ren looked at Yashiro, he knew his manager was trying to persuade him that he was okay…until he walked into a wall and stared off into a daze.

Ren leaned forwards and started to snap his fingers to wake Yashiro up, "Yukihito-san?" he asked and Yashiro stared at him before falling over and feeling faint. Ren was in shock but with a few phone calls, he was making sure Yashiro would be going to the hospital. He could take care of his schedule today, or at least that's what he thought.

…..

…..

Ren sighed. He hadn't felt that there were worse circumstances for a while and he was pretty sure that Kyoko felt the same way. Because of Yashiro's illness and his busy schedule, they had assigned Kyoko to him as a personal manager and he couldn't have that. He was trying to block out his past and now fate was tempting him. He realized though that he couldn't get somebody else to cover the duties and maybe he could shrug her off before she started to dig around in his past.

"Um," Kyoko said as she looked at the man she had complicated feelings towards. From what Maria had said, Ren had taken an interest in her and might want to work together but right now it seemed he would want to work with anyone apart from her. "Excuse me," Kyoko tried, "Is something wrong?"

Ren turned quickly and avoided eye contact with her, he was trying to act like she was another person and they both knew it. Then again, this hadn't been a natural meeting, it had been her scheduled to act as a temporary manager, a surprise for the both of them. Ren slowed his breathing, " _You_ can go back now," he told her and Kyoko blinked. He was acting very distant compared to the time before. She didn't want to be the one to apologize, she wanted for him to apologize to her.

"Huh?" Kyoko blinked and Ren shrugged.

"I can manage on my own," he said thinking it would be the easiest thing for the both of them but Kyoko quickly followed after him. He couldn't know that she had lost Corn, he didn't have any powers so there was no way he could be angry about that. She paused before following him.

"Wait!" she picked up her pace so she could walk with him, "No way! Sawara-san told me to look after you!"

Ren shook his head, trying to walk faster and not give her a chance of keeping pace with him. "Sorry. I don't need your help. I don't think you should be here," he said and Kyoko opened her mouth to ask him why but felt that he would only continue ignoring her. "I don't think you're capable of being a manager," he told her hoping that that would be enough to push her away but Kyoko followed after him.

"What the…I know I can do a manager's job," she mumbled very quietly and Ren turned to her. He tried to smile weakly despite wanting to maintain the secrecy of his identity. He didn't know how to interact with her anymore. He cared deeply for her but this way he'd be able to make up his mind and see if it was even worth trying to rebuild their friendship.

Kyoko froze. She hadn't expected that false gentleman's smile. She felt a little scared with him there and she was having as hard a time saying something in friendship as he seemed to. Had he completely changed his mind on her? Maybe he was very much different than he was as a ten-year-old.

"If that is the case then thank you, plus you sound confident. I also want to see if your skill deserves my 'thank you'" He told her. Ren was trying to get away from her until he had figured the situation out from all angles. He was trying to be polite but distant with her.

Kyoko however looked at him as if he was making fun of her. He was being sarcastic and acting childish and he was a swindler and a crook. He wanted to play with her again, right? He was going to tease her and what she didn't want to happen would be for him to think less of her and definitely for her to think less of him. He was her fairy prince after all even if he wasn't _her_ fairy prince.

…

…

How could this be day two and Kyoko still didn't know how to interact with her old friend, only a number of weeks ago they were living together and now there was a huge gap between them. She had to admit that she had moved out but he had been the one to trick her in such a painful and deceitful manner. She bit her lip wondering why she hadn't taken him up on going away apart from her stubborn nature but it was her stubborn nature that told her she wanted to see if they could be friends in the future.

Ren had been right though. This was her second day of being his temporary manager and there was no time to be a proper manager. Everything in Ren's life moved so quickly and he would read the schedule out loud before she could even memorize it. It was a wonder how anyone seemed to be able to manage him with how tied he was to his job. Still, maybe that was it. He had to keep his identity a secret to be able to work as an actor and that was most important to him, he did seem to have the work ethic for that to be possible. Was she really that unimportant to him?

Today she would become better though, she would be able to take charge and take down notes and make sure that everything went well.

Ren sighed as he picked up his bag and was about to toss it over his shoulder. He had been in a meeting and usually Yashiro would be sitting beside him making sure he had all the knowledge that he needed. He had to do that by himself, yes, it was proving to him that he _could_ be on his own again. Yes, he would have to sacrifice the friendship but he had already sacrificed so many other things in his life.

"Wait a sec!" Kyoko called out as she chased after him, "I should be the one carrying the luggage!"

Ren shook his head, still wanting to visualize her as an unknown, "Nope. There's no way a girl can walk while carrying the luggage."

Kyoko looked at him, feeling the pain as she saw the wall between the two of them. She desperately wanted to knock it down. She knew now that the reason she hadn't left was because she wanted her friend back, she wanted her kindhearted Corn back.

"But that's…my job…as your manager!" she yelled before hearing all of the excited fangirls on the other side of the door.

As the mob seemed to grab onto Ren, she felt him pull her towards him and protect her despite so many people wanting to touch him. As he held her close to him, Kyoko started thinking of those fans and how she should be protecting him from them but with the closeness to his heart which she could hear and the warmness of his muscular chest, she felt warm and all that was in her mind was how much she loved that blond boy who had offered her that magical stone.

Along with the rest of the group, she just wanted Ren.

 **End of Act 46**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 45**

H-Nala, Kaname671, luv2readgirl


	48. Act 47 - The Useless Manager

**AN:** There's a cliffhanger I'm not sure you guys would expect at the end of this chapter but I liked putting it here 😉

 **Act 47 – The Useless Manager**

Ren looked down at the nervous girl who was in his arms and how she had pressed herself into him. This was causing him quite a dilemma. For years he had felt that he would never find his heart to move like this, it was like a clock that had had a change of battery and started working again. No. He couldn't allow himself to be swayed like this again. He had already found the trouble with _wanting_ her and it wasn't that he _didn't_ want her but he couldn't let himself fall for those emotions again.

Kyoko looked up in alarm, "Let me tell you," she yelled again, "This is also the manager's job! I'm supposed to protect you and hold down the crowd," she said but it was useless. Ren was stronger than her and he had always been there to protect her. The way they were now reminded Kyoko of when they had been young children, she truly missed that.

…

…

Kyoko felt the day had gone terribly. Not only were they so busy that she couldn't talk to Ren alone but because she had been mistaken for a cast member, she had destroyed valuable property and greatly inconvenienced Ren. She had forced him to apologize and she wondered if she was causing other people to think of him in a bad light. Such things in life and especially show business were unforgiveable and Kyoko felt a dark shadow looming around her.

She had tried to do things better by requesting a schedule for Ren so that she could prepare in advance for his workday but he had already told her that he didn't think she could handle the job. Did he really think of her in that light, as nothing more than an inconvenience and a burden? She wanted to rebuild a friendship but she wouldn't be able to do that if he pushed her away so harshly. Her failing Ren, her failing Corn, was making her realize that she was not that useful and she didn't want to feel like that.

"Look," someone gossiped, "It's that girl, the substitute manager"

"No way!" her friend said, "Damn it! Why is it that girl!? Thank god, she's only a kid."

The first girl laughed bitterly again, "Frankly, I think Tsuruga-san probably thinks that she's just in the way since she ruined the scene just now and Tsuruga-san was carrying the luggage too."

The second girl gasped, "Are you kidding me!? That means she's not working at all, she's only accompanying Tsuruga-san every day then. That's just too embarrassing! I want to switch with her."

The first girl laughed in response, "I really want to switch with her too! I also want to spend the entire day with Tsuruga-san."

Kyoko closed her eyes. This had happened the previous day as well, all the gossiping. There were people questioning her use and why she was there and talking about how much they loved Ren. It made her feel sad that she knew more about the true Ren than they did but they also didn't really know Ren at all. It reminded her of the people who would gossip behind her back at school without even knowing her. Ren was probably feeling lonely and she had pushed him away and hadn't had the chance to apologize to him because of her own stubbornness. She had to find some way to apologize to him and let him know that she was interested in learning more about him. She didn't want to face that controlling and heavy nature ever again. He had even banned her from talking in the car so she couldn't apologize to him inside the car either. She wanted to make things better but maybe she was too late for that. She hoped she wasn't too late for that.

…..

…..

On the drive home, Kyoko tried to look away from Ren. She didn't want to see the anger in his eyes or the disappointment. It made her feel guilty for the abuse that she had hurled against him. She shouldn't have hurt him like that. He could have just passed her by on that first night but instead he had tried to comfort her, he had offered her things that nobody else had. She didn't want to see the anger in his eyes. She had let him down and acted boldly trying to prove that she could step in as a manager and taking it too lightly.

Ren had sacrificed a lot for his job, including his real name, she had joined for revenge and he hated that. Did he think that she was going to use him as well? No. Ren was special. She couldn't and wouldn't take advantage of him. He was disappointed in her and she had no way to make it up to him despite wanting to.

She had to try to take this opportunity, "So—sorry," she apologized and Ren finally looked at her, his eyes softening.

He had been wanting to hear her say this to him. It had seemed that she was still angry with him about tricking and deceiving her and he felt guilty that he still wanted to support her even from the shadows. Despite not having the best work day, he had wasted precious time with her around him. He softened, "About what?" he finally asked and Kyoko looked down.

"Everything," she said before she felt the pain in her heart and took a couple of steps backwards, "the other day…I took the job of a manager too simply and after I became the manager, instead of helping you, I gave you so much trouble. Because of my carelessness, you had to apologize too. I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry."

Ren blinked, she had already tried to apologize to everyone. Maybe he was in the wrong for thinking that she'd apologize for that night, for having those feelings against him and leaving him before he really had any opportunity to explain himself. He shook his head, "Don't worry about it," he said before turning stone faced and looked forward.

Kyoko felt his anger and frustration with her and was scared that he would toss her away like a piece of trash. It was the wrong time for Kyoko to hear her stomach groan and she looked away in panic. He hadn't heard that, he couldn't have heard that, right?

Ren paused and looked around confused. He turned to look out the window and Kyoko stared at him. Ren was checking to see if it was another car or if they had hit something or if his expensive car was starting to need a checkup. "What's….what's that sound?" he asked innocently, "Is someone using an emergency brake?"

He paused again before hearing it and Kyoko turned pale hoping he wouldn't detect the actual sound. As Ren turned to her, she clutched her stomach and begged it to be quiet but he was looking at her in alarm. Her stomach was telling him that she was hungry and he hadn't been able to notice. He didn't get hungry and food wasn't one of his favorite things but he didn't want for her to hurt.

"Oh," he said as he looked to the clock and found it was half past seven, "Are you hungry/" he asked and Kyoko shook her head quickly. "It's this late already. I didn't notice," he said and Kyoko looked at him nervously. She could see the guilt on his face. Of course he didn't notice, his body didn't work in the normal way at all.

"Sorry," he apologized again, "It's no wonder your stomach growled," he hummed trying to think of something, "Oh yeah!" he said as he realized something and Kyoko wondered what it was that he had realized. "That place just now…it had instant lunch boxes, did you get some?"

Kyoko's eyes widened and she felt that she had failed as a manager again. She didn't know that she could have gotten their food and now she felt like she really had failed him. Getting him food and something to drink was just decent human behavior. Not only had she failed once again as a manager, she had failed as a decent human being.

"Sorry," she said with wide eyes wondering if he would get bitter again, "I didn't know they prepare instant lunchboxes for people."

Ren sighed, "It's true that some places won't prepare lunchboxes." He hummed, "Then I'll find us a place for us to eat," he turned to her, "What do you want to eat?"

Kyoko looked at him in shock. Ren always seemed to care so much about his work but now he was taking time to ask her what _she_ wanted to eat as if work didn't matter. She looked down, "but we don't have any time," she argued and Ren grinned.

"Don't worry," he tried to persuade her, "Today's schedule went very smoothly," he said knowing that his reputation and perfect takes had made up for any delay that Kyoko could have caused. "Besides," he looked out the window, "the traffic isn't bad either, so since we're already here we'll have the time to eat." Kyoko saw him smile and was happy to see it. He hadn't smiled a lot and even when he was a kid, he would smile to keep her happy. She wanted to help him because despite the lies there was no way he was a bad person.

Ren looked over at her, "Have you decided yet?" he asked her and Kyoko blinked, "What do you want to eat?"

"Well, about that," Kyoko said nervously wanting to see even happier expressions on Ren's face. He deserved his happiness. "I'll…I'll eat whatever you want to eat."

Ren smiled for a while, making sure to give a dramatic pause and Kyoko just watched him. She was pretty sure he wouldn't choose a meal with flower petals in it and she could see the kindness he was offering in eating them. She did have to laugh internally about his willingness to commit just to keep her happy. She continued to wait and then listened carefully as he finally spoke.

"Okay, then let's find live frogs," he said before winking to her, "Who knows, you might kiss the right one and he might turn into a prince. We can even get them roasted," he laughed and Kyoko looked at him in horror.

"I don't want to eat that!" she panicked as Ren continued to chuckle.

…..

…..

Ren sat back as he looked at the meal in front of Kyoko. They had gone to a diner where they had hamburger with egg on top with vegetables by the side and he smiled as he saw the happiness and tears on Kyoko's face. She was excited and he was glad that he had been able to provide that for her. Ren took a deep breath as he saw the way she smelled it and he watched her waiting to see her take the first bite. He put down his fork as he started to remember the joy that they had shared.

Maybe he could make some of that joy reappear. He took her hand but she didn't pull away and then bowed his head, taking comfort in the moment that they were having.

"Kuon," he whispered as he looked from side to side to make sure that nobody could hear him and Kyoko looked at him confused. She paused as she saw the insecurity he was feeling and he took another shaky breath. "My name…is Kuon."

 **End of Act 47**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 46**

EmmaLasagna, H-Nala, luv2readgirl, Kaname671, The Real Jackie-O,

 **AN2:**

I'm going to put up a list of my next ten scheduled updates on my profile page. Now, I might get inspired for a fic and write that as well but hopefully people can see what's coming up in the following week.


	49. Act 48 - Shadows from the Past

**AN:** There is a little of the Kuu-Kuon relationship in this chapter because I love it 😊

 **Act 48 – Shadows from the Past**

Kyoko looked forwards with great confusion as the two sat in the restaurant. She must have misheard him because he had already told her that he wasn't Corn the fairy prince and now he was saying that he _was_ Corn. Kyoko's eyes narrowed as she looked at him and he blinked back. Ren felt a little defeated by the way his name didn't seem to matter. He had meant to show her that he trusted her and she seemed even more suspicious of him.

"Your name," Kyoko said as she ignored the hamburger steak for a moment, "you told me that you're not Corn."

"You're right," Ren sighed and Kyoko looked at him with even more bewilderment. Ren pulled out a pen from his pocket before taking the napkin and writing on it 'Kuon'. He handed it to her and put a finger over his lips. Kyoko looked at it and then smiled as she laughed softly. "You think it's a stupid name."

"No," she said with a smile, "I'm really grateful that you told me and of course I'll keep it a secret," she said and he tilted his head to the side but he felt very relieved by her reaction. "I just know why it got mixed up. I must have been too excited by your appearance to be listening carefully but why did you pretend to be a fairy for me?" she asked and he laughed softly.

"Well, I wanted to make you happy. I didn't expect to come back to Kyoto and meet up with you again so I wanted to give you a story that you'd find comfort in," he explained and Kyoko closed her eyes and tucked the napkin into her pocket. She smiled at him feeling their friendship again. He really hadn't wanted to hurt her and giving her his real name helped her to understand that.

"You did make me happy," she told him, "sitting here with you _does_ make me happy but I'm not going to move in with you. I'm happy where I am."

"I understand," Ren nodded before concentrating on his own food, "You should eat," he gestured and Kyoko nodded eagerly, happy that things were getting back to normal for the two of them and they were mending their important friendship.

"So, do you want to eat it?" Ren asked with a playful smile.

Kyoko took another look at the burger and then said very energetically, perhaps too energetically, "Yes! Especially the one with the big egg yolk on it," she said and Ren chuckled. Kyoko looked at him confused as he watched her. She blushed a little, had she said that too loudly?

"You were like this before too," he told her and Kyoko watched him.

She smiled as she reflected on an old memory where she had collected egg shaped rocks with him and that they had played together with the stones even if other people would call it a dumb game. Corn – now Kuon was always indulging her, always spoiling her with their time that they spent together. He had done whatever she needed to do to get over her sadness. She thought of a specific time when he had found her a large stone and she had called it a scrambled egg from the palace of scrambled eggs.

She blinked as she heard loud laughter and looked up confused before grinning as she found Ren laughing, finding it hard to control himself. She wanted to continue seeing him this happy. When he had been a kid there had been such pain for him but she hadn't known it. His stories told her that he had suffered but he didn't appear to be suffering now. She was happy for him.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she took a look around.

"Huh," he asked before shaking his head with a very relaxed and in Kyoko's mind adorable smile, "It was nothing. I was just thinking, how you can eat with such an expression on your face."

Kyoko watched him, "Because it tastes good," she told him and Ren sighed.

"That's true," he said before sighing and looking as if he was in a dreamlike state. The pain had temporarily left his expression. "I always like eating with you," he admitted and Kyoko smiled happily too.

"Me too," she said as she closed her eyes and felt her heart beat strengthen, no she had to keep a grip on herself. Ren was nice but she had promised not to fall in love and she didn't want to burden him with such an emotion. She wanted only happy things for her future. Her trying to be more than his friend might be pushing him too much.

As the two of them shared what they thought was a private moment, Kyoko could hear someone talking loudly.

"He really looks like him!" she squealed and Kyoko felt a need to protect Ren from the girls who were ogling him. He deserved better than that.

"Yeah, but this is a restaurant. He can't possibly be here but…" the second girl said and Kyoko tried hard to ignore them but inside she was scared that this was the way everyone treated him. It was hard to find a moment for yourself when you had so many people talking about you and acting like obsessed fangirls.

Kyoko took a look at Ren's meal. She had tried to tell him not to get the same thing as her but he had told her that he would because it was edible. That wasn't a reason to draw attention to himself.

"And look," the first girl said which confirmed the feelings that Kyoko had been having, "he's eating scrambled eggs. Ren wouldn't possibly do that!"

The second girl started talking even louder, "Look at that girl beside him wearing weird and odd clothes. They look so raggedy," she said and Ren sighed. He didn't mind them talking about him but he was feeling protective about Kyoko. He had always existed inside this world, a world that talked about him and commented on his every movement but she hadn't lived in the spotlight and it was getting to her. However, he knew that defending her and drawing attention to them would be dangerous for both of them.

"But this girl looks our age. She should be a high school student," the other girl commented rudely, "maybe she likes to dress up after class," Ren saw the pain flash across Kyoko's face. He wanted her to have that school life that she dreamed of. She deserved to be able to work towards a future that she cared about and he wanted to do whatever was in his power to help her.

Ren could see Kyoko getting even angrier as the girls talked to one another and he wanted to stop it but he knew that if he did anything that it'd not only risk his reputation but Kyoko's as well. He had always learned to ignore these words. The only times when he had heard someone stand up for him was when people were criticizing him as a child. There was one time when he was hearing people talk about how spoiled he was and that he wasn't even that cute and that they knew children who deserved a better life than he had.

He closed his eyes as he thought of how cruel their words had been at the time. He hadn't even known words like that said about him before then. He had been a three-year-old and his dad had had enough and told these strangers to not talk about his son like that in a way that he could overhear and that he was only a child so how could they make such judgments. Ren sighed. Before the incident, before his parents stopped loving him, they would always protect him. That's why his father had been his hero. He had tried to be the best parent that he could and Ren had let him down and that's why he could no longer love him.

Ren sighed before starting to leave, it was time for the next job anyway and he didn't want to think of the home that he had left. If his parents hadn't given up on him then they would have contacted him. They didn't love him anymore and that was a truly painful experience, he had brought it on himself anyway.

When Kyoko had calmed down from her anger, she noticed that Ren was gone and that the bill had been paid. She rushed out to find him waiting by the car for her. She had fallen into a trap of letting the girl's words get to her and focusing on Shotaro and she hadn't been aware of what was happening. She hoped that she hadn't embarrassed Ren or troubled him.

…..

…..

During the car ride, Ren was very distant with her and Kyoko looked down. That little bit of progress had been there for a moment but had she ruined it with her obsession on revenge. She didn't want to take away the gift that he had given her that night, the gift of knowing his real name. She didn't even know his full name or most of his backstory. Maybe he would tell her piece by piece of what had happened. She would definitely listen to him when he did.

"High school," Ren said with his eyes focused on the road ahead, "I haven't asked you the question this week, but…you haven't enrolled in high school after leaving that guy, have you?" he asked and Kyoko paused. She didn't want to think of that. She didn't want him to ask about that and get disappointed in her.

"Is it because of Sho Fuwa?" he asked and Kyoko looked at him before bowing her head. The pain was coming back and she didn't want to cause him to see her in a different light. That would hurt far too badly.

"To him, I'm only a convenient stepping stone, a stepping stone who was always beside him," she admitted and Ren watched her with great concern. She had had her life turned upside down by him but hopefully he could do something that would make it easier for her in the future. "Once he succeeds, my existence is no longer needed. I'm only a stepping stone."

Ren eyed her carefully. When she was younger she had talked about this Sho character as if he was a real prince charming out of a fairytale book. She had said that she would be his princess and that she wanted to live a life that would please him. Ren felt a little bad about remembering her smile. She had deserved to be loved, she deserved all the happiness that she could find and he had done something so terrible to her.

He turned to her before looking back at the road, "You will _never_ be considered a stepping stone to me," he assured her and Kyoko smiled.

Kyoko looked angry and determined as she stared ahead, "I will definitely become a bigger star than he is! I'll get my revenge! I'll make the person who said I was an idiot say that his biggest regret was abandoning me!" she announced and Ren sighed. He already knew about her plot of revenge but he had hoped that she had dealt with it over him and her outlook on the world had changed. It didn't appear to have done so.

Ren slowed down to a traffic light before an image popped into his head that made him freeze for a second.

It was as if he was seeing his father before him and imagining the words, "My biggest regret in life is having you as a son. My best decision was to abandon you."

He felt sick and Kyoko turned to him, putting a hand on his upper arm and prompting to take the wheel. She had no idea what had just gone through her mind or what he was thinking about but he had turned pale and she was worried about him feeling sick.

"It seems like," Ren said as he attempted to change the subject to protect himself. "Even you have your past memories that you don't want to share with others but if you act with this kind of goal in mind then someone like me, who's also an actor, will feel very unhappy. It's good that I already know the real you but if you talk like that to others, they will misunderstand you and you won't make the connections you need to make to survive in this industry," he told her and Kyoko looked at him in shock.

He was right. He knew so much about the acting world that she trusted what he was saying but that wasn't the look on his face a moment ago.

"It isn't like that," she whispered, "my reason for studying acting is…" she stood and hit her head, scaring him a bit. Ren reached out for her nervously, she had hurt herself by acting recklessly again but they were in the middle of traffic, he couldn't just pull the car over to the side of the road at this moment.

Kyoko paused before hearing the noise of her phone. Somebody was calling her?

 **End of Act 48**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 47**

Kaname671, KrisXD, luv2readgirl, Paulagato, The Real Jackie-O


	50. Act 49 - Test Your Knowledge

**AN:** The bathroom scene will be referred to with the angel scene when I put that one in (yes put it in out of order)

 **Act 49 – Test Your Knowledge**

Kyoko answered the phone quickly once she had realized that it was the president who had called her, "You are such a big idiot!" the president yelled at her as Ren sighed, rolling his eyes. He could hear the man without even being on the phone with him. Didn't he understand that that was a little exhausting? No. The president was all about drama and so he probably loved that his voice was that loud. "I've been calling you since this morning! Why do you only pick up now!? I'm so angry."

Kyoko looked as if she had been caught committing a crime with the guilt that was on her face. She felt terrible for not being quick to respond to someone so important and Ren could see that. It was easily explainable but she still looked as if the world were ending.

"Sorry," Kyoko said weakly, "I'm not used to having a cell phone… after I changed it to vibration, I forgot about it and I didn't pay attention to it," she attempted to explain and Ren shook his head. This seemed like a conversation that he could have expected.

"I was going to tell you some good news but now you've spoiled my mood," the president said more quietly but Kyoko could still sense there was frustration there. If the president had tried calling her throughout the entire day and she had only just answered then of course he had a good reason for feeling angry.

"Huh," Kyoko said as she tried to keep herself calm, "What is it? What's the good news?"

The president started laughing as if he was finding the whole situation rather fulfilling. Kyoko didn't understand people like this. Of course, she had the feeling that nobody understood the president most of the time. He was just that unique a personality, "Oh?" he asked her in a teasing manner, "Do you want to know?"

Kyoko sighed and looked forwards. Maybe it was better that she actually didn't know if this was going to be a joke. She didn't know what good news the president would have for her and it was a little scary that he was saying that he _had_ this news, "Well…" she said awkwardly only to hear the dramatic voice once again.

"From your reaction, it seems like you don't want to know," the president said as if he were really going to hang up on her and Kyoko paused. She had always learned to listen to management and do whatever she could to please them. Maybe she didn't have love as the emotion that fueled her but she did have respect and this wasn't any regular manager but the president of the agency. He deserved more respect than anyone.

"Huh?" Kyoko laughed softly as Ren turned in to his large apartment building, "Really?"

The president sighed, "This is really losing its fun," he told her and Kyoko could only smile. Was this phone call ever fun to begin with? The president sure had a weird sense of what was funny or not. "I guess I'll just forget about it. It's about going to high school."

Kyoko paused and her eyes widened as Ren held the door open for her. She took a step out feeling as if something were about to happen. She was frozen at the idea of high school but if the president was talking about it, maybe it was a good thing after all. Kyoko felt her breath catch in her chest and Ren looked after her concerned.

"I know a school that allows transfer students," the president explained as Kyoko tried to calm her breathing, "and accepts students in the entertainment business and gives them special permission to leave early, arrive late, etcetera. Do you…not want to go?"

Kyoko felt her eyes widen as she felt the shock of getting something that she really wanted. She had no idea that the man beside her had actually helped with arranging that for her. She didn't know that he cared enough about his future to do so even though he _had_ given her a cellphone. He had given her her first one which she had seemed to forget about but she had handed it back to him.

"I want to go!" Kyoko said quickly as her heart nearly beat its way out of her chest. No, she _really_ wanted to go there.

"I have a friend who is the director of that school," the president explained to her as Kyoko attempted to control the excitement that she was feeling. "They have a special class as well as extra curriculars. The entrance exam only has some of the normal middle school level questions. I don't think it will be a problem for you as long as you review a bit. How about it? Tomorrow morning."

Kyoko's jaw hung open. This was something that she really wanted to experience but because of the circumstances in which she was living, she had given up on even the thought of attending high school. She hadn't wanted to believe that something would happen and then feel that hope leave her but it was coming true. She wanted to have this moment to live.

"I want to talk about the details with you," the president continued, "Are you interested?"

Kyoko nodded, she had felt that she had told him her wants but maybe he hadn't heard her. "Oh, yes, I am, definitely."

Ren smiled to her. He wanted her to be happy and school was one way of her enjoying that experience. If she found other things in life other than revenge, then they would both be happy. He only wanted her to find the sparkling existence which she had spoken about. Nothing else really mattered but that.

…..

…..

That night, Kuon was glad that Kyoko was sleeping in the guest room. He had missed her presence in the apartment and even though she was only staying with him for a couple of days, it made him feel connected to somebody else. It had been a long time since he had felt such a strong connection. He took a deep breath in but rubbed his throat, something felt strange and a little off. Maybe it was stress. Despite there being a lot of happiness when he and Kyoko had made up, there was still a lot of stress.

He sighed and went to the bathroom, maybe he just needed a drink of water and some way to relax. As he went and looked in the mirror however, having his contacts out of his eyes for once since Kyoko had persuaded him not to sleep in them, he looked at himself and then imagined his hair turning blond.

He couldn't become someone with that troubled and messy history. He couldn't be Kuon again. He had to stay calm and think about the good that he had done as Ren Tsuruga. He looked up and took a step back as he imagined his father being there beside him. He turned quickly but found that he was alone in the room.

"You're such a disappointment," his vision of his father said with a cold look. "You go to this country to be a better person but look how that turned out for you. I'm glad that you stopped going to high school over here, you're nothing but a disappointment and I wash my hands of you. You proved to be the son that I never wanted. How could I ever love a person like you?"

Kuon put his hands to a damp cloth and soaked it before putting it on his face. He didn't want to hear that he was a disappointment and a black mark to his father who he had always wanted to please. Saying his name had seemed to summon him. His father hadn't even attempted to make contact with him, his mother had never tried to make contact with him either. They were happy that they were gone and he couldn't blame them.

Kuon sunk to his knees and pushed his hair back nervously, his body shaking. "I'm sorry, Father" he whispered as he felt all the strength leave his body. "I'm sorry that I let you down. I'm sorry that I couldn't be the son you wanted. I'm sorry that I made you hate me."

…..

…

Ren sighed as he sat in the makeup chair the next day at work. He had been asked about Yashiro and as much as he enjoyed having Kyoko beside him, he did like working with Yashiro and he did admire his professional nature. Kyoko was attempting to do her best but she wasn't as skilled as he was. Ren did still feel a little bit funny from the previous night. He tried not to think of his family but giving Kyoko privileged information had broken down his carefully constructed walls.

"So, it was like that," Ren started to explain, "After all that, I didn't go see him before coming to work. He angrily said that he will have his family take care of him. He said, I'm not allowed to go there again. He lives by himself, if he dies or faints, no one will know. I was only taking care of him," Ren tried to argue as the woman behind him worked on styling his hair for the next job.

He had to admit that he would have felt better if Yashiro had been okay. Ren enjoyed Kyoko's company but she often triggered his past when they worked together. He didn't feel too great about his past after the vision that he had encountered in the bathroom that previous night.

"He just didn't want you to get sick too," the woman said wanting to comfort Ren.

"He doesn't have to worry about that," Ren chuckled in a casual way as he tried to keep everything at surface level. It was better that way, better not to dwell on his being a disappointment to his family. "I'm proud of the fact that I have never gotten sick," he told he and the girl gasped in surprise.

"Huh!?" she asked as she turned to the twenty-year-old, "Really?"

Ren was about to answer but there was a cold wind that whipped through the air accompanied by some dark laughter. Both Ren and the woman were a little shocked and they turned their attention to Kyoko who had been studying all morning. She had a dark gleam in her eyes and was staring at the question with an evil smile.

"This…" they both heard her say, "this question. I remember seeing it somewhere."

Kyoko loomed over the paper as she stared at the printed material. This was something that was a bad part of her past as well. She had spent so much time trying to learn everything and get the best marks to please her mother and so she had always kept this question in her mind. She remembered the question, she remembered the method and it wasn't something that she was going to forget. In the past she had gotten this question incorrect but it was time for her to take her revenge on it. Now she was determined to solve it against all odds.

"Re-Ren-san," the woman said nervously, "That girl, what's wrong with her?" she asked a little freaked out by how intense Kyoko was.

"Oh," Ren chuckled as he watched her. He knew that he had more of an understanding of Kyoko's behavior than most people but it was still a little weird to see it and he didn't know how to explain it in a way most people understood. "She…um…she's going to take an exam."

"An exam?" the woman asked, "For a school?" she paused looking at Kyoko worried and Ren understood that emotion. She was going a little overboard but that was what she did. He sighed, she would always call herself stupid when she got test scores back as a child and he would try to comfort her. It was about winning her mother's love at the time and he sighed, dropping his head which the woman felt confused about as well.

They were alike in that respect, both of them felt like failures to parents whom they had never wanted to disappoint in the first place.

 **End of Act 49**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 48**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, luv2readgirl, Paulagato


	51. Act 50 - Whether It's a Cold

**AN:** I'm not really sure when or what I'll write. My heart still feels pained. My treasured cat had to be put down on Monday and now it's been two days and I really miss her. She would have turned fifteen-years-old in May and I've had her since she was three and a half months old. I miss her a lot.

 **Act Fifty – Whether it's a Cold**

Ren looked over at Kyoko as he saw her furiously working at the test. She was concentrating too much on the negative emotions that wouldn't get her anywhere in life. She had to show restrained and control especially when it came to the entrance test. He sighed as he heard the stylist ask him, "With her average, does this girl have to work this hard?"

Ren sighed as he looked away. He didn't want to talk about how they were childhood friends and attach Kyoko to him but he could remember when she showed him her tests when she was six. She would get scores like high B averages and low As and she would be told that she wasn't good enough. Actually, her mother didn't tell her anything, she just told her to get away from her if Ren remembered what Kyoko had told him correctly.

All that her mother had wanted from her was perfection and Kyoko was determined to give her that. She didn't want to be unloved and maybe that's why he became her fairy prince, he wanted to give her love and hope and happiness.

Ren was pulled from his thoughts as the stylist finished and he went onto set, Kyoko following him close behind.

…..

…..

Kyoko froze as she stood on the set, her face showing a look of surprise before turning into one judging herself and acting as if she rated high in stupidity. She shouldn't have been so worried when she was a child because people wouldn't make fun of someone with an average of 80 or above. Schools were tough and not everyone got perfect grades. To have never flunked a class was a great feat but she had punished herself for not being perfect.

She sighed as she felt exhausted as she reflected on her past, she had always been thinking that there were no kinds of good grades or bad grades, the only grade that mattered was that one-hundred percent mark. She was stupid. Just because she had been attempting to impress her mother, she had fallen down a rabbit hole. She shouldn't have that feeling ingrained in her but those were the same feelings that Ren had towards his work.

She sighed, Ren took offense at her acting for revenge when he gave his whole heart and body to be able to do a scene perfectly. Her mother had taken offense at her not being able to meet the requirements she had set out for her and if Kyoko wasn't perfect, she was both useless and worthless. She didn't want to dwell in those thoughts any longer.

"Cut!" the director called out and Kyoko looked up to see Ren standing there with a soft glance to her as people changed positions and they were ready to film on the same set. "Let's wrap up this scene," the director said before yelling again. "Action!"

Kyoko turned to watch the actors, wanting to take a break so that she could spend some time with Kuon. She felt special knowing his secret despite not knowing most of his background. Still, she cared about him greatly, he was her Corn. She looked at him before hearing him cough between takes. Was he getting sick? Would he be able to do his work if he was ill? He cared about his work and prioritized it highly. She didn't want for him to have trouble with something that was so important to him.

He was coughing frequently and not only was he coughing but the coughs sounded very dry. It was obvious that the cold that Yashiro-san had had was spreading to him. Did he not notice that? Kyoko's eyes widened as he rubbed his throat and she felt sympathy, still seeing him as a fairy prince but in a metaphorical manner now. She was determined to help him.

…..

…..

Ren hated the way his throat was feeling, it felt as if he had to continually yell the same line for the scene but in this particular scene there had been no yelling so it was strange. This feeling that he had was very strange. Maybe his throat would feel better with something hot within it, that was why people drank tea, to heal their vocal chords. Ren went over to the vending machine and pressed the button for red tea with sugar and milk. He waited for it to pour out, not knowing that he was being watched.

"Abnormal," Kyoko whispered as she looked around the corner, she was obviously spying on him and that took Ren back a little but Kyoko was watching him, wanting to help him but knowing that he wouldn't tell her what was wrong. He was too foolishly proud for that.

"What are you doing hiding there?" Ren said uncomfortably as he felt her suspicious energy. "That was so creepy," he commented, feeling a shiver through his body. She was acting like an obsessive fangirl instead of a temporary manager. If Yashiro had been doing this, it would have felt even scarier.

"Ren-san," Kyoko said in a low voice, "I saw everything," she commented before shaking her head. Ren couldn't deny this any longer and Kyoko would be the one to make him admit that he had developed a cold. She would make him admit to it. "Just now you chose to add milk and sugar into your red tea," she said and Ren blinked. "Why?" she asked.

Ren felt confused as he stared at her. "Huh," he asked with a slow blink wondering why she had decided to focus on that detail, "I just felt like drinking it."

"You're lying," Kyoko whispered and then shook her head, "You shouldn't lie to your manager, mister" she said and Ren laughed. He wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about. He stared at her. This wasn't as if he was continuing to eat edible flowers, he had just put sugar and milk in his tea because he wanted something comforting.

Kyoko looked to Ren with an air of confidence, "I've asked people about you and compiled a data list on you" she announced, ignoring Ren's shock for the time being. "They said when you're drinking coffee or tea, you would never add milk or sugar and you only drink beer with ice."

Ren gave another slow blink. If they really were working on rebuilding their friendship then why hadn't she just come to him and asked him if she were truly interested in this. He would have told her. He had no reason to not tell her. He choked a little, "Are you a cop or a stalker?" she asked, "You could've just asked me directly, y'know?"

Ren sighed as he saw her staring at him, "but," he said feeling that it didn't really matter, "You're right. I seem to be a little bit tired, so I wanted to try something I don't usually drink." Ren held up the tea as if showing her and Kyoko narrowed her eyes, suspicious of him once again.

"Oh," Kyoko said as she raised an eyebrow, "So when you're tired, your throat becomes uncomfortable?" she asked him.

Ren looked at her, had she gone so far as to research his personal habits, his biology, his physiology? She could have just asked him and he would have told her. He wasn't ready to just not tell her simple things like that. However, his history was a different story and he wanted to avoid her digging too far into that.

"Huh?" Ren said before feeling himself sweat under Kyoko's careful observation, "I think this is the first time that this has happened," he commented and Kyoko nodded as she listened to him. He wouldn't admit to this discomfort, would he? He was going to remain as stubborn as possible.

"Does your throat feel like there's something stuck there?" she asked and Ren's eyes widened as he looked away from her. How much did she know about him? Hopefully it was all superficial stuff like this that didn't really make too much of a difference. "And does it feel itchy when you swallow your saliva?" she continued and Ren stared at her.

"How did you know?" he asked slowly as she continued to stare at him, "It feels exactly like that."

Ren looked at her, waiting in silence for her explanation and answer but Kyoko was happy to let the silence drag on as she looked at him the same way that a detective looks at their key suspect in a criminal case. Ren took a slow breath in but fortunately Kyoko spoke first.

"Ren, do you know what people normally classify this symptom under?" she asked and Ren sighed.

"What?" he asked her directly. He was getting a little uneasy by how closely she was studying him. Was there something that he was supposed to know? What was it. What was she sure that he knew?

"A cold," Kyoko said directly and there was another long silence between the two of them.

That was Ren turned to the side and started laughing at the possibility of himself getting a cold. Kyoko felt a little annoyed by how much he was dismissing this. It was a cold, there wasn't a possibility of it _not_ being a cold. Whether it was a flu or just the common cold, Kyoko didn't know but it _was_ something and that something was definitely not a joke like he was making it out to be.

"Ren," Kyoko said quickly, her eyes widening, "This isn't a joke. This is really a symptom of a cold. We have to control it before it flares up," she announced but Ren laughed again and shook his head in denial.

"Impossible," he told her and Kyoko couldn't help but feel how completely childish he was being regarding this subject. "I won't catch a cold," he announced and Kyoko looked at him in surprise. How could he announce that? "I've never caught a cold before and I'm proud of it."

Kyoko continued to stare at him in shock, was he truly proud of _that_!? "Please stop living in your past glories!" she attempted to reason with him. "What evidence do you have to show that you do not have a cold!?" she asked and Ren shook his head, dismissing her again. "The you who has never caught a cold would not know anything about the symptoms for one."

When Ren shook his head once again Kyoko felt a little annoyed. She wanted to help her friend but if he was just living in his own imaginary world where he was too important to have a cold then she couldn't help him.

"I've had countless colds," Kyoko told him, "and I wouldn't be wrong about it. You must have caught a cold."

Ren shook his head, "No, it can't be."

Kyoko looked at him, wanting to make him see common sense, "It's a cold."

"No it can't be," Ren denied once again.

"Why are you so stubborn in denying it's a cold?" she asked. It was truly impossible that with all of his achievements in the acting world, Ren…or more so Kuon had to be so proud of the fact that he hadn't ever been sick before. People could be struck with colds at any age and if Ren hadn't had a cold before then did he even have the antibodies to confront a cold.

"Why are you so eager for me to have one!?" he asked her and Kyoko turned to look at him passionately.

"I'm not hoping for one, but it's a fact," she announced and Ren stared back at her, "Your manager must have passed you this cold."

Ren looked down, avoiding eye contact with her, he didn't want to make her feel idiotic but she was trying to convince him of things that he didn't believe. With respect to her, he avoided eye contact. "That's even more impossible," he tried to tell her, "I'm not sneezing like him, nor do I have a fever."

He turned to the side smugly and Kyoko stared at him in disbelief. Had he gone crazy!? How much did he want to brag about his body!? Ren put a hand on his head, he did feel weird but it shouldn't be a cold. He hadn't had a cold before.

Ren sighed, "Forget it," he told her, "Why don't we do this. We'll just look at the situation for the time being, if I have a fever and a runny nose, then I've caught a cold," he tried to compromise and Kyoko continued to stare at him in shock. This wasn't the type of thing that people _should_ compromise on especially since different people had different reactions to viruses.

"You, you plan to do nothing about it!?" Kyoko asked as they started to walk down the hallway. "It'd be too late if you had a fever."

"I always take care of my body," Ren replied still showing arrogance, "You don't have to worry. I'm not that weak."

"If you fall ill," Kyoko continued to try to convince him, "then it'd be bad 'cause you won't be able to work."

"It won't happen," Ren said in denial, "My body is very strong."

Kyoko sighed, knowing that she couldn't convince him right now. "Just don't come crying later!"

"I won't cry," Ren said stubbornly.

"You'll regret it!"

"I won't."

 **End of Act 50**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 49**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Luv2readgirl,


	52. Act 51 - I Will Persevere

**Act 51 – I will Persevere**

The following morning proved to Ren how right Kyoko had been about colds. He didn't want to say anything because he had let his pride get in the way or reason and logic and he had been so proud of his immune system too, Now he felt a little stupid. They were both in the car and driving to their next location and Ren felt like crap. His face was burning up and he felt sweaty and stuffy at the same time as if he had been exercising that morning. His body was stiff and his throat felt even worse. There were even tears in his eyes due to the fever. It sucked.

Kyoko looked at the thermometer that she was holding and she looked at him determined as Ren looked away, attempting to avoid eye contact with her. He didn't want to tell her that she was right despite how she was an important person in his life. "See," she said, "I told you so."

Ren looked down. He tried to rethink his actions over the past day or so but he couldn't figure it out. He must have done something wrong to receive the shock. He wanted to know how to avoid something like this happening again. He was a successful and hard working actor, he couldn't let something like this ever occur again.

"Why would I catch a cold…" Ren sulked, thinking aloud without meaning to.

"Ren-san," Kyoko said as she looked at him, calling him by his first name since they were in the privacy of his car. "You're saying it again."

"Last night when I reported your condition to the supervisor, he let it slip. Usually you do not have a proper meal, right?" she asked. She tried to hide her concern for him as her friend behind the professionalism required as a temporary manager. Ren looked down guiltily, he hadn't wanted to admit that to her since they had eaten together when she had been living with him. He had mainly eaten for her sake and hadn't wanted to prove to her the gap she had left in him.

Kyoko sighed, she had also been told that the main reason she was accompanying him was so that he would need to eat. So, he had wanted to get her food and forgotten about himself. That was just like the little boy he was in his childhood. He had always listened to _her_ problems and forgot to address the ones for himself. She had felt that she was getting the opportunity to help him but really it was only manipulation for him to eat proper food.

Kyoko sighed, she wanted to get him to listen to her before something happened again. " You have no right to be an actor," she scolded him and saw the shock on Ren's face as if he had just had an anvil thrown at his head. He was in complete shock at what she had said and soon bent forward as if he really had been struck by a heavy object.

"To think that I'm actually reprimanded by you," he said looking depressed and Kyoko felt a little annoyed by that statement. She was his friend, his _childhood friend_ , wasn't it in a friendly nature where she could tease him if only a little. She had wondered whether by questioning his professionalism, he would take this a bit more seriously.

"The director had once said," Kyoko said proudly, "If you're unable to take care of your own body, you're just a money-making tool for others lacking professionalism."

Ren opened his eyes, the words burning into his skin. He had given up a lot to be an actor in this country and so had his parents, his parents who had stopped loving the twisted person that he had become. His professionalism and work ethic were things that mattered a lot to him. He had to guard those precious things with everything that he had. He couldn't afford to lose that.

"I don't know how you train your body but health can't be maintained based on the training alone," Kyoko continued to scold him, she hoped that by her saying these things at least some of the words would sink in. He needed to refocus his energy on his job but also learn how to avoid getting sick the next time. She wanted to help him with his dreams and maybe she wasn't a skilled actor like he was but she was at least able to offer him life advice on the subjects that she did know. "I know how busy you are, but the busier you are the more you should supply it with nutrients, no wonder your immune system is down."

Kyoko turned to Ren slowly and raised an eyebrow, "Ren, you haven't taken your medicine, right?" she asked.

Ren sighed and he sat up slowly, his head bowed as they waited in the area in which the actors were allowed to park at the location set. He sighed and Kyoko watched him, stopping in her scolding for a moment, "I'm sorry," Ren said in a genuine manner. "Really," he sighed, "You're right. I am overconfident," he said slowly.

Kyoko looked at him sadly. She hadn't meant to hurt his spirit or have him apologize to her. Had she been too rough on him? He was her friend and she wanted to support him but from her experience with Shotaro, sometimes you had to give tough love to be able to help. Shotaro had never apologized to her or agreed with her like this. That made Corn special, that reminded her of how Corn was special.

"It's a little embarrassing," Ren laughed and Kyoko looked at him sympathetically, "If I had known earlier, I should have listened to you right from the start."

Kyoko looked at him, watching that sheepish smile on his face and his eyes that showed how he was judging himself and really was a bit embarrassed to be in the position that he now was. Kyoko felt her heart beat excitedly as she saw him and blinked as the brown hair and eyes seemed to slip away in her mind and get replaced by those blond strands and emerald eyes. How could this man play with her heart so, especially since he had told her that she shouldn't fall for him? She didn't want to put that burden on him when he didn't want people getting close to him. She could understand that too. She didn't want people getting too close to her but with Corn it already seemed too late.

…..

…..

Kyoko was looking through her study materials once again as Ren was shooting his scene. She sighed as she started to pace without realizing it. Compared to her, Ren or Kuon was very mature when he gathered himself. She had found it a little funny as well as annoying in how he had acted like a small unreasonable kid about his sickness and yet he had apologized in a way that Shotaro would never have done despite the fact that she reprimanded him for his actions.

She sighed, would she have been able to apologize, even to him? She was stubborn like him but she hadn't become as mature or as reasonable as he was. Despite the fact that she had told him that as a good actor he should be taking care of his body, that was to help him rather than to destroy his morale. Still, did he continue to misunderstand her as an actress and her reasons for wanting to study acting? Was he still thinking that _she_ was the small child that was only looking out for revenge?

In fact, she had been talking for a long time about revenge and maybe he was only trying to be nice to her because that was the person he was. Maybe he didn't trust her in the way that he had when he had been Corn the fairy prince. She didn't want to enjoy this happiness at being close to her if it was just him being cordial.

Kyoko stopped to watch him, wanting to prove to him that she could be just a good a friend to him as he was trying to be to her. She shivered a little but then overheard two of the crew talking.

"The weather's pretty fair but it'll also be natural for rain and an occasional rainbow may appear," one of the crew members said and Kyoko turned to him. What was he talking about? Was it actually going to rain? It didn't seem like it would. Were they talking about artificial rain?

"Are the rooms prepared for the drenched Tsuruga and Yumiko to rest? The security here seems to be top notch," the crew members continued and his coworker turned to him with a chuckle.

"Ah, we finally manager to rent it. It was a last minute thing because those two definitely cannot fall ill," the second guy replied and Kyoko began to panic.

Ren had already caught a cold and being pounded by cold water wasn't the best thing for him to do. It would make him suffer more and even prolong the cold. They were worried about him getting sick but he _was_ sick and just hiding it incredibly well. She ran forward to try to get Ren's attention. This was extremely important, he couldn't afford to wind up in the hospital with hypothermia or anything like that.

"Tsuruga-san!" she called out and he turned to her, his face showing a little bit of surprise. Kyoko took a look around and saw that everyone was far away from them. That boosted her confidence in the next things she said. "I strongly object to filming in this raining scene" she said before he shook his head. He was serious about doing it!? Work ethic was one thing but he needed to take care of his body.

"Oh," Ren said slowly, "That can't be helped."

"You already have a fever," Kyoko tried to persuade him and Ren watched her and nodded, "What if your condition deteriorates!" she attempted to persuade him and Ren looked at her, his face not changing from the hard working professional appearance.

"I brought this on myself," he told her and Kyoko looked at him in alarm. This was complete nonsense and insanity. Ren couldn't be actually saying these things. "Moreover," Ren continued, "this place can only be used today," he explained and Kyoko slowed down. He really was attempting to do his best for everyone. He was such a selfless guy sometimes but he should be taking better care of himself and it pained Kyoko physically to imagine him letting himself get hurt.

"This scene can't be postponed," Ren explained and Kyoko felt helpless to stop him, "it doesn't matter if the cold worsens or I faint before I can shoot a satisfactory scene. I will persevere."

Kyoko paused as she saw Ren head off to the set and she felt her heart break for him. There had to be something fueling those words, fueling his acting. Even though Ren wasn't a fairy prince who had traded in fairy world for a chance to be an actor, he _had_ risked something. She wanted to know if what he had risked could be saved.

 **End of Act 51**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 50**

Guest, H-Nala, Kaname671, KrisXD, paulagato


	53. Act 52 - Suspicious

**Act 52 - Suspicious**

Kyoko looked painfully as she saw Corn performing the scene. Acting meant so much to him and he always took it so seriously, putting his heart into the character but there were usually at least two people in a scene and although Ren was a professional, Yumiko, seemed anything but.

Kyoko sighed as she looked at the drenched Ren and remembered how hard he had always worked even when he was only ten. She hated to see him have to endure something bad for his health because someone wasn't doing their work correctly.

"It was my fault but I really can't understand," Yumiko began passionately, "because that person is just too weird! It's too spac—cious"

There was a collective groan from the crew members and Yumiko fell to the ground starting to cry as Kyoko's eyes widened. This was someone who was supposed to be good at their job. What was she doing fooling around like this under the artificial rain? Ren was ill and she was taking advantage of acting opposite him so she could flirt with him. She wasn't even his type anyway.

"I messed up again," she said as the fear spiraled through her. "I'm sorry," she said.

Ren came over to her. Despite the fact that he was still feeling ill from the sickness, this was a costar that would suffer if he told her that the scene wasn't good enough. She needed support not someone telling her that she was doing it wrong. He sighed as he could hear the director tell her what the correct line was. He tried again and on the fourth take it messed up once again.

Kyoko looked at the two of them, her anger increasing. Corn was ill and people should have noticed that by now despite how he was trying to hide it. He was trying to be professional and carry on working but this woman was making it tough for her. Could Yumiko be trying to flirt with him. Corn was too good for her anyway. She was trying to act dumb and flirt on purpose to give him the maiden in distress image. He didn't care about having a girlfriend, he cared about the work he had made sacrifices to be able to do.

Kyoko wasn't entirely sure why she felt so protective over him and his sickness but as he pushed his hair up and put a hand on his forehead, she could feel something inside of her explode. He was sick. They should have realized that he was sick and his face was pale and he looked exhausted. Nobody should make Corn feel like this.

Ren looked over to her with a small smile to say that he was okay despite feeling sticky and slimy on the inside. The world felt like it was punishing him for something. He was doing his best to work through this but it was as if he were on an uphill slope and kept being pushed down before he could reach the top. He couldn't rest though, he had to keep going, he would reach the end eventually.

Kyoko tried to step forward to get some time for Ren to be able to rest but before she could catch the director's attention one of the crew members had spoken up.

"Director, this isn't hopeless," the crew member said and Kyoko turned to him with hope that he would get them to give the actors a little time to breathe and collect themselves, "she's just nervous so she can't act properly. She's flustered."

The director sighed and nodded, still looking firm. "Ah, then, let her rest even though we don't have that much time."

Kyoko sighed in relief. They would be finishing the shoot for a moment and she could fetch Ren a warm and dry towel and then he could take a breather and they could finish the shoot once he had sat down and maybe had something to drink. Having all this water dumped upon him wasn't good for his health. It was a good time to take a break from the work they were doing.

"No," Ren protested and Kyoko looked up to see his very serious expression. "No, that won't do. If we rest then we won't finish the filming in time," he said feeling confident in his choice to follow the good work ethic that his father was also known for. This was something important to him and he wasn't just about to give up because it got harder. "Let's continue," he attempted to convince them and Kyoko could feel herself twitch as she watched him.

 _He_ needed to rest. He needed to get his body into better health right now so that he could deliver his best. He shouldn't feel a need to continue working if his body felt bad. How stubborn was he? She had good work ethic but she didn't think that hers had ever hit this limit where it was starting to become ridiculous.

"But," the crew member said as he went over to Yumiko and Ren looked around to watch her, still breathing weakly. "She's so…"

"I'm scared," Yumiko admitted as she covered her face with her hands and Kyoko could see the worry on Ren's face as the water droplets fell down. He was hurt and he was still considering what other people were feeling. "Why can't I get it right? I can't stand this anymore," she whispered and Kyoko saw Ren panting a little before he collected himself and went over to her ready to help _her_ despite all the pain she had put him through with her actions.

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko called out wanting to stop him from going over to her side, "Wait a sec!"

"Hey," Ren said as he approached her and came to kneel down in front of her despite how the pants were wet and the ground was pretty hard because of the rocks. "Don't worry," he attempted to assure her, "It will be fine if you just calm down," he attempted to encourage her.

The actress looked at him with tears in her eyes, he grinned as he sat opposite her. "Say suspended ten times," he said and Yumiko looked at him nervously.

"Suspended?" she asked and Ren nodded, acting towards her as if she were a young animal or child who needed help.

"That's right," he said and the actress looked at him.

"Suspended, suspended, suspended," she repeated and Ren nodded.

"Now change the ending," he told her, "Say suspicious."

Yumiko nodded and then looked at him repeating the word until she got it correctly. She looked up, blinking away the tears that had settled in her eyes. She tried to relax her breathing and then looked at Ren, feeling the way that he was actually being nice to her and not pushing her to say or do anything.

"Good job," Ren praised, "this time you said everything perfectly."

The actress blinked at him and smiled, her eyes starting to have life in them again and she nodded, "It's a lot easier now," she admitted and Ren continued to grin in a supportive manner. Kyoko sighed. There were a lot of people who would get angry at someone acting the way this woman had. They might have yelled at her, blamed her, made her feel that it was her fault but Ren turned the situation into something where they could support one another. He had helped her and they were being patient together despite the way that the rain was hurting him. This was the Corn that she knew existed underneath Ren but she was scared that he wasn't getting his dream yet.

Would he be able to reach his dream even if she were to offer him her help?

"Then let's try again now," Ren laughed as he took a step back and the actress nodded, her confidence obviously increased by her private coaching.

Kyoko sighed, she had been feeling annoyed by the situation and she was only watching him on the sidelines but things were actually happening _to him_ and he was smiling and acting kind and compassionate. He really had matured. She wanted to see that smile continue but what Kyoko really didn't want to see was the exhaustion he felt and how sick he was. He needed to get better and this scene wasn't helping him.

Corn had always been friendly and gentle with everyone and she was glad that they were rebuilding their friendship and could enjoy their time together but something in his past must have muddied it enough that he wasn't Corn or Kuon. Something had to be bad enough that he had left his past behind to focus on acting. It wasn't her place to ask him about it but maybe one day he'd tell her what it was.

Kyoko saw the two of them performing together and she could see his joy in acting with her, she could feel the joy in him doing a good day of work but this only made her further suspicious about the past. Something must have gone wrong somewhere.

What Kyoko really needed to do was shield herself. She couldn't rely on compassion because compassion would lead to love and she couldn't burden him with her love even if he did seem a guy who wouldn't try to hurt her.

…..

…..

Kyoko was hoping that Ren would have the strength for some hot tea and she had brought him two. The first had some cream and sugar and the other was black. He needed something to warm him up after he had been on set in the raining scene. She knocked on the door before slipping inside. "I brought you something to drink," she said as she turned to where he sat. He didn't look very good at all.

"Thanks," he said as he rubbed his throat and Kyoko felt glad that he had at least had a hot shower and been able to get warm and dry again. He needed his rest and it was good that they wouldn't need the fake rain for the next scene. She heard him groan and sat down on the sofa.

"I'm sorry," he apologized and she hummed, turning to face him. "I should have listened to you."

"It's okay," Kyoko said with a soft laugh and Ren shook his head in argument. "I mean, are you feeling better? I know that the scene must have been pretty hard to do. I wanted to get you to -"

"I can't rest," Ren argued with her and then sighed as he looked towards where his watch was and Kyoko had realized a long time ago that that watch was something that he didn't take off apart from filming. It was something that connected him to his past, maybe some kind of a dark secret in his past. "If I don't keep moving then I can't be forgiven," he told her and Kyoko tilted her head to the side.

"I've already forgiven you," she told him and Ren smiled but shook his head.

He tried to stand and Kyoko stood up to help him. He bowed his head and Kyoko could catch the pain in his eyes. Something was fueling him to keep going and though she wanted to help, it wasn't her place to ask about it and she didn't want to be an imposition on him.

"It's not you who I need forgiveness from," he attempted to explain and Kyoko tilted her head to the side, a little confused. "It's something…" Kyoko froze as Ren fell and though she tried to catch him, she fell down too with him on top of her. This was definitely an uncomfortable situation.

 **End of Act 52**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 51**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, PaulaGaTo


	54. Act 53 - Lean On Me

**Act 53 – Lean On Me**

Kyoko tried to steady her breathing with Corn slumped upon her. If anyone walked in on them then this would be nearly impossible to explain. He was exhausted and of course he would be exhausted. He had done so many scenes in the artificial rain whilst trying to get over a cold. Kyoko wanted to get him up but he was too heavy. He was positioned in a way where he wasn't crushing her but she didn't have the strength to push him up.

"Co-Corn?" she asked, hoping that would rouse him. "Can you get up?" she asked.

Taking a look at his facial expression, Kyoko's heart dropped in her stomach. He was shaking. He really wasn't doing okay and she worried for him. He had already sacrificed so much when it came to his acting. She tried to push his hair back to feel his forehead and he just shook even more. He was in such a bad shape that she was debating over whether to call a doctor but he might not forgive her if she did that.

Kyoko touched the back of his neck and felt her eyes widen. He was suffering and she hated to see her friend in so much pain. She sighed. The first thing that she had to do was get him up, otherwise she wouldn't be able to do anything. The more she wriggled and struggled though, the more she felt that she really was trapped under him.

She was like an insect, trapped by a cat under its paw. She closed her eyes before hearing someone laughing and realized it was Yumiko on her phone. Her eyes widened and she grit her teeth. Corn was in pain because of her stupid little game and she was carefree enough to be laughing during a conversation. This might lead to health complications for her friend who had sacrificed who knows what for his dreams.

She should have finished the act sooner. She should have shown him more respect. It was because of her that she couldn't get up. What more, it was an easy take and this was getting her more pissed off.

"What kind of tricks are you playing?" Kyoko fumed before hearing Ren shift. She closed her eyes bitterly before feeling him start to rise, his eyes showing pain in them.

"Rick?" he asked and Kyoko froze. Was he responding to that question? She hadn't meant that he was playing tricks on her. Ren looked at her confused, his body shaking in a different way.

"Yeah, tricks," Kyoko rolled her eyes, "That actress is -"

"Rick?" Ren asked and Kyoko stared at him, he was missing the t out of his word. His voice was probably sore and he couldn't really say that in such a delirious state. Would he be okay to continue his work? Ren now was looking down on her and seeing the emotional expression he had, Kyoko's eyes widened. Had something happened?

"I never meant to hurt him," he said and Kyoko looked at him with widened eyes. Somehow she couldn't help but feel a jab of pain in her own chest. She blinked as she tried to not feel dominated by the situation but gazing up at him, even Kyoko had to admit that he looked gorgeous and sexy and words that she had refused to acknowledge. Why the hell was she acknowledging them now?

"I'd do anything to take his place," Ren said before Kyoko opened her mouth to answer him. Who was he talking about? They were the only two here and that wasn't in any of the scripts that he had. Kyoko continued to stare at him not knowing how to respond and whilst she was in this position, he seemed to realize the situation. He looked at her with a faint comprehension of the situation.

"Eh?" he asked Kyoko who was in shock a little, "Wrong person…you're not Tina. What are you doing here?" he asked her and Kyoko stared at him with one question floating around and around in her mind. Who on earth was Tina!?

As Ren started to get himself up, he looked at her confused. What had happened? He remembered talking to her one moment and the next he was on the ground. His head felt incredibly heavy and there were cold chills through his body. He turned to Kyoko, "Did I faint?" he asked in a daze, "Ah, my head is so heavy, my feet are so light," he said as he tried to stand and walk and Kyoko watched him with even more worry.

"Ren, I think it's better if you don't continue your filming today," she tried to advise him but Ren stopped. It was more than obvious that he felt like crap but he didn't turn or make another movement. He just took slow breaths. Something was troubling him and it was beyond the physical ailments of a cold. He was suffering emotionally because of this Tina person.

Ren looked to her with a look that showed his inner thoughts, he wasn't going to give up on this scene despite his physical condition. This was what mattered most in his life. He had somehow given up everything for acting as if it was supposed to fix all of his problems. His work was most important and Kyoko knew that it was more than what any other actor felt but she didn't know why. His priority was his work and as an important friend, she wanted to be there for him. She just had to figure out how.

It was all because of his cold that he was feeling this way.

How could she cure his cold?

…

…

After the filming had wrapped, Ren still had to try to convince himself that his cold wasn't getting the best of him. Since the shooting was inside, it was a lot easier and it progressed smoothly. Ren was able to hide the fact that he was sick and deliver an amazing performance. As he walked down the corridor one of the crew members approached him.

"Tsuruga-san," the man said happily, "thank you for your hard work, this is the breakfast" he said despite the fact that it was already nearly mid afternoon. Ren took the bento box from him and nodded his head.

"Thank you," he managed to say and the crew member looked at him.

"Eh, your voice sounds a bit hoarse," he said and Ren laughed softly. He still wanted to pretend that he wasn't being affected by the cold that appeared to be going around.

"Haha, probably because I've been talking non-stop," Ren told him.

"That won't do," the crew member attempted to advise him, "You need to drink water frequently." Ren nodded and laughed in response and the crew member started to survey the area. "Speaking of which," he began again, "Where is your manager? I haven't seen her. Next you have to go do your work, right?"

Ren sighed and nodded. He trusted Kyoko to not fool around and play games but had he somehow frightened her so much that she had run off and left him here to deal with things alone. He wanted to believe in her but with everything that had gone on recently, it would be his fault if he lost their friendship again. He hoped that he hadn't done that.

"Ah, that's bad…" the crew member replied, "the director was right. She's probably happily shopping right now, she's still a kid. If she's not back after you eat, I suggest you leave first."

Ren sighed and nodded, "You're right," he said as the crew member began to take his leave. Ren looked down at the bentos, there were two of them and two pairs of chopsticks. So, she had abandoned him. He was a grown man though, abandoning wasn't the type of word that he wanted to use but now he had to have two things to eat and he wasn't really feeling up to eating. It wasn't just his throat but his stomach as well and his will power that made it hard for him to eat. He looked a little dazed as he stared at it feeling uncomfortable.

He put a hand to his forehead again and when he raised his head, the area seemed to be waving in front of him. He felt dizzy again. It was as if he had been knocked over. He felt absolutely exhausted and drained and the world wasn't making sense visually anymore. Was he going to faint in front of everybody? He couldn't show them his weakness.

As he started to shake, he felt something behind him propping him up and turned to see that Kyoko had used her head to steady him. He managed to catch his breath enough to stand on his own and then turned back to the teenage girl.

"You're lucky…" she tried to joke with him and Ren blinked confused, "You're lucky that I made it in time and I thought I wouldn't get back in time," she huffed and Ren stared at the bags that she had put down. She _had_ been shopping? He would have never expected for her to be one to shirk her duties in order to shop.

"You went shopping?" he asked her and then saw how sweat covered Kyoko but she was smiling so happily as well.

"Yep," she said excitedly whilst panting to get her breath back. Ren had to admit that she looked adorable as she stood there with that amazing smile on her face showing that she really had done her best.

…..

…

Kyoko sat in the car during the ride to their next location and she dug into her bags seeming to be working on something. Ren turned to her, he sighed loudly, "Didn't I tell you not to report anything t the boss?" he asked her and Kyoko sighed.

"I had to ask him for some money," she told Ren, "to ensure that you can focus on your work, I made a lot of preparations."

Ren turned to her lost in a mix of confusion and interest. She had gone shopping to prepare something for him, knowing Kyoko it could be anything. It could be something that would help him or something that she only thought would help him. However, she was creative enough to surprise him in a way that he would never expect.

"First is," Kyoko announced as she took something out, "the cold pad," she announced before placing it smoothly on his forehead and then dug through the bag as he started to feel a little better with his fever being combatted by the cold pack. "There's cold medicine, plus water, I don't think you have a water bag at your house, feather pillow, and this is…"

Kyoko pulled something out of the bag and started to grind it furiously, scaring Ren a little. This was the same as she had been when shaking the sodas up during the commercial. When she had something in her mind that she needed to do, she would do it with high energy. Ren watched as she poured on some honey and then handed him the dish.

"This…" Kyoko smiled at him, "You were supposed to cut it into small pieces and then put it in, but I figured that since your appetite wouldn't be very good, eating now would probably be very painful so I thought of making this," Kyoko announced before leaning forward with the type of smile that Ren did truly love. "Please eat. This stuff is very good for sore throats."

Ren watched her before starting to eat as she had insisted. She really was doing her best for him and to care for him. He felt guilty that there were still so many walls that had to be there between her and the proper him but he wasn't even in contact with his own family…not that his family would want to contact him.

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko urged, "even if you don't want to, you still have to force yourself to eat it because otherwise you won't be able to take the medicine," she told him before taking out some more equipment for him. Ren looked at her wondering how much longer he would have to keep her out for, it was best for both of them and yet nobody had cared about him in this way for years. He had to be careful to make sure that this didn't develop beyond friendship.

Ren took another spoonful of the iced concoction and smiled at how it was easy to eat. He looked towards Kyoko wondering how much of this the driver was hearing. Kyoko looked to him with that strong sense of determination she had always been known for.

"From now on I'll be giving my all into helping you. I won't let you be held back in any of your jobs and at the same time, I'll help you get better. If you feel dizzy again, at that time, feel free to lean on me."

Ren turned to her again, he opened his mouth to say something but then closed it soon after. He was going to find it very very difficult not to fall in love with her.

 **End of Act 53**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 52**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, luv2readgirl


	55. Act 54 - Kyoooko-chan

**Act 54 – Kyoooko-chan**

Ren wouldn't admit to it if he didn't feel it and he definitely could feel the depth of the emotions running through his body. Kyoko wasn't an ordinary girl and in his eyes, she had never really been an ordinary girl. Even though she cried a lot over the problems that she had had with her mother and she lived in a fairyland where stories that didn't make sense could actually happen, she had strength and passion and kindness. She was an amazing girl and he just didn't want to burden her with his presence. He wasn't going to let himself be the wolf that destroyed her happiness.

She had lived in a time when all that had been important to her, of any real importance anyway, had been Shotaro Fuwa. She was strong-willed and spontaneous but whatever she did, she always did her best at it, wanting to achieve the best results for herself and those who would be affected by her actions.

She was an ideal Japanese girl but in no stretch of the imagination was he the ideal American guy.

Ren felt something damp on his forehead and he opened his sleepy eyes to see Kyoko changing the pad on his forehead. He could see her eyes which still had concern for him and he felt guilty to be able to look at her so closely.

"Ah," Kyoko said in alarm as she noticed him watching her, "I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

Kyoko very steadily changed the ice in the bag that was resting on his forehead attached to some contraption that she had put together herself. She knew that in Corn's condition, he really needed his rest. He would feel better if he could rest. "I just put in new ice, please just keep on sleeping," Kyoko told him as her heart pounded in her chest.

It was wrong to think that he was adorable needing to be cared for and he would never have wanted to hear her thoughts about that. He was a strong guy who was able to take care of himself and yet she really did like the way that she could do things for him. He actually thanked her as well, unlike Shotaro who had taken advantage of her.

Ren sighed as he could feel the cold on his burning hot forehead, he smiled as he felt at peace. She had given him comfort and relief, he wanted to make her know how grateful he was for that.

"Okay," Kyoko said as she pulled back and studied her work once again, "Like this you should be able to hold on until next morning," she said and Ren watched her, his eyes longing for her to stay but she didn't seem to realize that's what he was saying.

"Thank you," he mumbled and Kyoko looked at him, he had spoken and she had missed it once again.

"Thank you," Ren smiled as he looked at her and Kyoko could see that blinding light. He was godlike. He was the most amazing person she had ever seen and she felt guilty about looking at him when he was like this, her heart was going wild but she knew that she didn't deserve to be with him. He had told her that she should protect her heart even from him and she wanted to prove to him that she could listen and that she valued their friendship.

"Thank you, Kyoko-chan," Ren finished and Kyoko nodded before staggering out the room, holding the items that she had brought in and closing the door very quietly and very slowly. She had seen him looking up at her and with that gorgeous smile and he had been sparkling and he said her name in a dreamy manner. She was risking falling into that trap again but how could she not. Of course he could make any girl fall in love with him, that was just his natural charm.

…..

…..

She hadn't been able to concentrate all night. Ever since she had helped him and heard the way in which he had said her name, Kyoko felt completely lost and vulnerable even against the exam. She couldn't study because she just kept remembering how hard her heart was beating when he had said her name. It hadn't even really been anything that special, just her name in that affectionate manner.

Kyoko looked at her phone and her eyes widened, it was already eight in the morning and she hadn't slept. She felt exhausted but nothing made her more exhausted than when she realized that even if she did listen to her foolish heart – which had told her not to fall in love again – she wouldn't have a happy ending. A happy ending just wasn't in the cards for her.

Kyoko looked down at her book and realized that she hadn't done a single exercise since she had changed the ice. She should be studying and paying more attention to the work in front of her but she had found this apartment so familiar and comfortable. She had found being around Corn to bring her so much happiness. She wanted to know more about Kuon but she realized he couldn't be forced to tell her and she didn't want to create a wall between them again.

She was just feeling excited that he was getting better. She wasn't falling in love with him because he was delirious and weak and she was a sadist. No morally respectable person would try to take advantage of somebody who was in a state of a cold. He wasn't functioning properly and she couldn't afford to read too much into what had happened. She had to maintain her calm.

He had a high fever and he probably didn't know whether he was dreaming or whether he was awake. He wouldn't call her that lovingly but she did worry about what dreams he might be having. She wasn't willing to give him her whole heart just yet but she was imagining it. He didn't want her heart. He wanted her friendship. He was talking to her as a friend. She just had to keep remembering that and reminding herself that it had nothing to do with love.

She needed to focus on her revenge plot. Even though acting wasn't something that she wanted to use in order to have her revenge, she did still want to see Shotaro suffer in the same way that she had suffered. She couldn't tell Kuon about it but she couldn't give up on sending Shotaro to hell either. That was her destiny.

She didn't need to fall in love with him, all that she wanted was his friendship.

…..

….

Ren managed to wake up as the sun was rising and he felt better, his fever had decreased significantly and he couldn't remember much of the previous night but he was feeling okay right now. He smiled as he basked in the light. He could probably manage work today and then each day would get easier and easier, that was something that was important for his dream. He didn't want his sacrifice to be for nothing.

He looked at the bag of water and blinked. Hadn't this been ice? He sighed and shook his head, he wasn't sure what had been a dream and what had been reality. He looked at his pajamas. He didn't remember putting these on, he actually didn't remember getting back home either. It was strange that he didn't know what was going on and that he was wearing different clothes.

He couldn't think badly of Kyoko, she was a shy young girl and he didn't think that she would have forced him to strip in front of her. She couldn't have changed that much. What he did have to be thankful for was that he felt a lot better than he had before he went to sleep. He walked into the living room area and saw the piles of study materials that Kyoko had brought with her.

She was intelligent, he had always known that about her and admired her for that but did she really have to bring all these books here to pass an entrance examination into high school no matter how elite the high school was. As Ren looked through a book, he could hear the blender in the kitchen and followed the sound of the noise.

Kyoko had her palm on the blender, making sure that the lid was on securely. She frowned as she recited numerous dates about world events. She mumbled to herself as she tried to work against the noise, it was best to keep some kind of distraction there. She was stopped by Ren's coughing as he looked at her, studying her.

"Excuse me," he said and Kyoko jolted as she heard his voice. She wondered if it was because she had been questioning her heart the previous night or just from the lack of sleep. "I get the impression some mysterious substance is turning into something even more mysterious over there," he said and Kyoko looked behind her at the stove where the mixture in the pot was trying to brown.

She screamed as she went to fix it and Ren looked after her, she wasn't acting too insecure right now so they could still maintain their friendship. That was something very important to both of them. At least they could be friends even if they couldn't express love for one another.

…

…..

Kyoko sat at the table with Ren, her hands in her lap and she bowed her head in the manner of a formal apology. "I'm sorry, now that I used your kitchen. I could only produce something this ordinary," she apologized as she gave him the vegetable soup and the ume flavored rice mash. Ren looked to her. He was surprised that she had prepared even this. He didn't really have a lot that she could use to cook with.

"Don't say that," Ren said as he looked at one of her creations with a teasing smile though he was as scared to try the mixture as he had been to eat flowers all those weeks ago. "I think this is quite extraordinary," he commented and Kyoko looked to him nervously.

"This is rich in substance, delicious energy drink," she said and Ren immediately put it to his lips before he started to look groggy. He turned away from her, his body showing his regret and his energy falling again. Kyoko looked at him, scared that he had seemed to turn into a low-energy Corn.

"You're a liar," he said and Kyoko's eyes widened as she looked between the glass and his face, "You tricked me."

Kyoko froze before looking at him as if he had his head and could be suffering from a concussion. "When I said delicious, I wasn't talking about the taste," Kyoko stated before looking at the glass and taking it from his hand. "Is there anybody who would, looking at this color, really think it were delicious!?"

Ren sighed and shook his head, "But…if it tastes so horribly awful, I would have rather you tell me clearly before that it tastes horrible. I felt dizzy for a moment. But you didn't even warn me," he continued before chuckling and raised an eyebrow, "Do you hate me so much?" he tried to tease her and Kyoko stood up, her face turning to one of shock but she looked away and Ren watched her. He had meant that as a joke but she seemed to be seriously considering it.

She stared at him before asking in a low voice, tears sparkling in her eyes, "How could you even ask me that?"

Ren watched her before they heard the thermometer beep with the reading of Ren's temperature but neither of them said anything, both looking at the other to see what they would say, how _they_ would react.

 **End of Act 54**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 53**

Brennakai, Kaname671, Kris XD, PaulaGaTo


	56. Act 55 - Secret One-Sided Conversation

**AN:** Thank you for your patience with these updates. I am really trying to put more time into school so have to sacrifice writing time.

 **Act 55 – Secret One-Sided Conversation**

"I," Kuon began as he saw Kyoko's stern and upset look. He had meant it as a joke because it was a line from a script, "I," he began again and Kyoko still stared at him in disbelief. "Sorry," he said as he bowed his head and looked at the table. "It was a joke, a stupid one maybe. It was a line from my script."

"It's not a very good line," Kyoko told him. "Of course I don't hate you," she argued back with him staring at him and wondering how that was a joke to him. She would have been hurt had it not been a joke since she was hurt now. "Besides," she raised her chin. "I made that drink for you because I wanted for you to feel better."

"I know," Kuon nodded again, "It was foolish of me to make that joke. I know that you've tried very hard to help me with my cold. To help me _conquer_ my cold."

Kyoko nodded and then picked up some of the plates to clear the table. "Never think that I hate you. I think you'd have to do something extreme for me to hate you," she said as Kuon looked after her with his jaw dropped. Wow. She truly _did_ care about him and he should feel very fortunate about that.

Kyoko shook her head as she tried to clear her mind as well and picked up the thermometer, "I'm very glad that your fever went down a lot," she told him and Kuon nodded glad that they were moving forward with their conversation.

"Thank you," Kuon smiled to her, "That's due to you," he said and Kyoko sat down again.

Kyoko shook her head. She didn't want to take all the credit for his recovery. She would have to protect her heart from developing those complicated feelings were that the case. She didn't want to be the only hero in this piece of Kuon's life. "The anti-fever injection from the hospital worked," she argued, "anyway, fevers always go down in the morning."

Kuon nodded softly before putting a hand to his chest and Kyoko leaned in, watching him with her breath caught in her throat. "But," he said as he took slow breaths, "the cooling pillow and the ice pack were yours, weren't they?" he asked and Kyoko looked at him wondering how much he remembered and how dangerously close she was for having growing feelings for him.

He looked away from her, "Furthermore, I'm even changed. Thinking about being changed by an innocent young girl…" he trailed off and Kyoko turned a bright red. What the hell was he talking about?

"You changed yourself" she argued as she thought about how much coaxing she had to do to get Kuon to listen to her the previous night. He had been completely out of it so she had ordered for him to do what he needed to do. It was Kuon who had listened to her even in his zombie-like state. "Keep calm," she reminded him with a worried expression since he didn't even remember that. "It's no surprise you don't remember," she said as she tried to think of when she had helped Sho. She hadn't even undressed him. Men weren't actually dolls where she could just tear the clothes off at any moment she chose.

"Anyway, Kuon," Kyoko said as she finished her own meal, "If you have difficulties eating, at least just drink a bit of the soup," she suggested to him and Kuon nodded.

Once Kyoko had finished, she stood up and this time took all the plates and bowls from the table. "Excuse me," she smiled to him, "I'm already up so I'll prepare something we will be able to take with us to the film location," she smiled weakly and Kuon watched after her. He really hoped that despite that gap that had been between them before, she really didn't hate him. It was a mean thing to say even as a joke and he should have known better.

Kyoko really hadn't changed since she was a kid. She was still that kind and passionate girl that he had deemed perfect. Maybe she wasn't perfect though, her quest for revenge wasn't perfect but she was special. He treasured her. Was that selfish of him to feel?

…

…

"All right, cut!" the director called and Kyoko froze as she held her study book open but realized that she hadn't even glanced down at it. She had been caught up in seeing Ren act. He definitely had a talent for it and she hadn't been able to keep her eyes off of him. She knew that she needed to focus her attention on studying for her test but she wanted to talk to him about the scene and praise him. He'd probably listen to her as well, unlike Shotaro.

She sighed as she tried to change textbooks hoping that she could pay attention to the next subject that she chose. Ren was a professional and she wanted to watch him to study his technique but what should be her first priority were her entrance tests. She needed to make sure to pass them so that she could get into high school. She truly wanted to be able to get into high school.

As Kyoko dug around for another text book, her hand slipped over the script that Ren had given her for safe keeping. Maybe she should focus on her schooling but she was more interested in acting. She looked up at Ren again, watching him. He should have been able to learn his lines yesterday but he had been sick and he hadn't been in a state to do so. She wondered if he held the same abilities as Moko-chan where he could just flip through a script and memorize everything perfectly.

Perhaps he could teach her how to do that, Moko seemed to be a bit guarded when it came to that technique. It was her special talent after all. Her eyes caught onto the same words that had upset her the previous day. At least it meant that he had looked through the script even if he had been using those upsetting words on her.

How could he even joke about her hating him? He was Corn, the boy that had saved her and made her happy even if they had only played together for a number of days. He had listened to her and given her strength in dealing with the pain of her youth. No. After all that he had done and even lying to her, she had never hated him. She hadn't trusted him but that was understandable. She didn't have to hate him to lose trust in him.

She needed to find a place where she could be alone, she wanted to focus on her own important things and since they had taken Ren to do the monitor check, she had some time to focus on herself.

…..

…..

Kyoko held the Ren disapproving doll that she had made and made it point one of his hands at her. She lowered her voice to do an impression of him. "Well, I think preparing a special diet is a sign of extreme good naturedness. My, my, to take all night long caring for a guy who isn't your boyfriend and unable to tell you about his past, frankly speaking, you're an idiot."

She heard a mutter behind her and froze, "You're mimicking me or what?" Ren asked and Kyoko felt her back straighten. She hadn't meant for him of all people to have heard that. She opened her mouth and coughed a little. She hadn't wanted him to know that she was making fun of him. He was an important person to her and now that he knew about her secret would this build the tension.

Kyoko took slow and steady breaths, she turned around to see that he had a good natured smile and even laughed.

"You're pretty good, but I have my own reasons for not telling you my background," he reminded her but Kyoko still stared at him. He picked up a script and she stared down at the doll. He hadn't seen it had he. He would surely get the wrong idea if he saw it. She had wanted to toughen up and had made one so that she could have private conversations with him. He would think that she was completely obsessed with him if he saw it.

"Good preparation," Ren told her as he looked over the script, "You already took out the script for the last episode."

Kyoko looked at the puppet in her hands. If he had seen it, he would have commented on it and she didn't want that. She would have to explain to him what it meant and then he might get upset and think that she viewed him in a harsh light. Sure he sometimes wasn't her favorite person but she didn't want him to think she disliked him. It had hurt her when he had asked her that question from the script that morning, it might hurt him to know that she saw him as hypercritical and judgmental.

Kyoko looked up from her bag after she had shoved the doll in there. She looked from side to side but it appeared that Ren had vanished. Strange. She stood up wanting to find him. What if he collapsed again? How was he going to finish the episode if he collapsed?

…

…

Ren sighed to himself as he sat on the stairway, looking down at the script. Usually he could memorize these scripts in a time that seemed non-human but this time he was having a hard time getting the words to stick in his mind. He needed to figure out what to do and how to perform the final episode. He placed a hand on his forehead trying to focus on whether his fever had risen again. Maybe they wouldn't get to the scene today but he needed to make sure he had it perfectly memorized even if he had an extra day to do it.

He looked up. Did she really think that he was the bad guy? Maybe he was, he went around hurting people and even his own parents had stopped loving him but he would never call her an idiot. He cared about her deeply but he wasn't allowed to act on that. She always prioritized other people and that scared him. In this world, if you didn't protect yourself then you would get hurt and taken advantage of. She held a passion that made her blind to the world around her and yes, it developed a fighting spirit but it often led you to go down one road.

For instance, she had told him that she hated studying when she was a child but she was determined to do so because she wanted to get straight As for her mother to love her. He didn't know if even that was enough to make a parent love a child but she had been determined to do so. Although you overcame weaknesses by being headstrong, you needed to enjoy life too. He was being judgmental in that, he should be following that logic as well if he truly believed it.

Hopefully she enjoyed acting and it wasn't taking away time that would be better used for herself. He wanted her to only study acting if she wanted to love it, if she was doing it for herself. He closed his eyes not realizing that Kyoko had found him. It was better for him to be alone. He wouldn't hurt people were he alone.

Right now though, he was supposed to be concentrating on his script so that he didn't let anyone else down. He had to figure out how to make his sacrifices worth something. That was the reason why he was acting anyway, to make it count and make it worth something. He had to get the script memorized otherwise he was useless as an actor and it would all be for nothing.

 **End of Act 55**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 54**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD,


	57. Act 56 - Stairwell Confessions

**AN:** Wow, it's been a very long time since I updated this one but I have scheduled more time to update, I've just been busy these days. Hope you enjoy.

 **Act 56 – Stairwell Confessions**

Ren was attempting to keep his voice from echoing down the hallway but he looked at the script, staring at the words that were somehow not sticking in his mind. If he didn't get over this sickness soon then how far would he truly fall as an actor. "Anyway, it's still 48 hours before it's statue-barred." He sighed and didn't realize that Kyoko was hiding right under the stairwell listening to him.

She paused. She shouldn't be hiding from him. She was his friend and shouldn't friends be showing support to one another whilst looking at one another. She froze, the cold chills going down her spine. She somehow felt that she was impertinently eavesdropping on him. That wasn't something that a friend should do but she was worried for him. He wasn't himself because of the cold and he had sacrificed his life to being an actor. She wanted to do something to help him.

However, he didn't seem to read the script alone in public because of that image which he tried to protect, the way people saw him in the industry was important. He didn't want to let a weakness like trying desperately to commit his words to memory to slow him down or make him any less impressive. He was still impressive to her but he must have risked something huge to change his life so much.

"Anyway," Ren continued, "It's still 48 hours before it's statue-barred."

Kyoko sat up more. He was repeating the same words. This meant that he really did have trouble keeping them in his mind. She admired the way that he was able to act but this was slowing him down and she wanted to do something to help.

"Our right to investigate has been taken away by the prefecture police," he continued and Kyoko tried to think of what she had read after this line, after all she had spent time reading the script when she was meant to be studying but she was too fascinated by the acting world to pay attention to the entrance examinations.

"We can do anything," she said with her eyes closed. Even if she was young and a newbie actress who he might not take serious in this field, she could still help him. "So, you wanna give up?" she asked him.

Ren paused, his eyes widening and he lifted his head. Someone was responding to his words, no _she_ was responding with the other lines and she was acting well. She had placed the character's emotions into the words that she was saying. That wasn't something that a lot of beginner actors could do. Had she been able to conquer and attain skills that were rare in a beginner. Hadn't she wanted to use acting as her revenge?

"I can't believe it, hearing the same phrases over and over again," she said with a sigh and Ren got to his feet. He wanted to find her. He wanted to act opposite her again just as they had done so in the acting test with Ruriko. He wanted to see her passion and her drive again. He wanted to enter into that partnership with her. He started to slowly make his way down the steps.

"Yazaki is your enemy. He has murdered your father. You've been hating him for the last fifteen years," she continued with drive and motivation in her words that he wasn't even getting from his partner in this drama. He wanted to know how she had developed these skills and most importantly why she had developed these skills so well? She was good at acting, was she aware of that?

"If you don't hunt him down who else will do it? After all, I'm the one who should be angry. The prefecture police have taken Yakazi away from us!" Ren felt an excitement cover him with the thrills that ran through his body. How had she achieved this so well. She was getting furious when she spoke just as the character would. The pronunciation of the words was even in character. He wanted to see her, he wanted to see what kind of expression she was using.

"So what, the prefecture police is persecuting him because of another matter so who cares? We're persecuting him because of a robbery with murder that will be statue-barred soon," Ren said as he heard his footsteps and he reached the bottom of the staircase. He peered around to where Kyoko was. She was already skilled as an actress but that was what surprised him. Motivating oneself with hurting another didn't bring out this type of result. Was it something else?

"You want to say you can go against the prefecture police?" he asked as he saw her stubborn expression. It was truly as if she were embodying the character within the script. She was starting to become her. She smiled and he was struck speechless. Someone who was acting with revenge in mind wouldn't be able to create that expression. What were her real motives behind this? Had she told him and he just hadn't listened to her? He felt that he _needed_ to know what it was.

"Of course," Kyoko said defiantly and Ren smiled. Somehow she was beginning to open up and change to the girl that she had once been. Although he didn't want her to lose her spark and her independence, he wanted her to find her own sense of happiness and passion. He wanted the beautiful things in life for her.

Kyoko watched him. He wasn't responding to her and she worried that he had forgotten his lines but that wasn't possible. They were almost at the line that he had said that had emotionally wounded her at breakfast time. He had known those lines this morning and he wasn't acting back. She was worried for him? Was his fever back? Was he experiencing cold sweats?

"Your acting skills have improved in a very short amount of time," he commented and Kyoko's eyes widened. She smiled weakly at the comment before looking down and blushing. She hadn't been expecting that. Each time at the acting lessons she had compared herself to Moko and now she was being praised. She definitely didn't feel that she had conquered any skills but she was getting the ultimate praise, she was getting _his_ praise.

"Re-really?" she asked and Ren hummed with a smile, he nodded and Kyoko felt her face turn even redder in response.

"You did well playing the character's role," he followed and Kyoko blinked back at him. "Not only are your lines accurate. Even your expression is quite good."

Kyoko stood with excitement as she faced him. She wanted to tell him so much of what she had experienced in the time that they had spent apart. She would have told him at the time but they hadn't been talking and she felt a lot of regret about that. "I learned this from school," she told him eagerly and he grinned as he listened to her. "In the lesson where they taught don't only depend on a script for acting. I learned that it could be the same setting but depending on the role, it could give a different mood. In class students had to perform many times using dialogue exchange, because I never did it before, I had to pay extra attention."

Ren looked at her, his eyes showing his realization of the thrill and beauty that acting had helped her blossom inside. Just as he had wanted it to do, acting was nurturing her and pulling her into the sunlight that she deserved. She had found something that she enjoyed. Hopefully that part of her heart that desired revenge would be filled with the passion that they shared.

Kyoko smiled happily as she clutched tight to the items that she had. She had prepared the soup for Ren but talking about acting made it so that she could ignore most everything else. She laughed softly as she stood there. "Even though it's very hard but," she smiled and Ren's eyes widened at the purity that her expression held. "I'm very happy."

Ren froze and tilted his head to the side. Had he been overlooking something here? "Why?" he asked wanting to nurture her and try to help her and inspire her. "You…learned acting…isn't it for revenge against Fuwa."

Kyoko looked at him and bit her top lip for a moment before shaking her head. She couldn't believe that he thought that about her. No, it made sense for him to think that but it was very very wrong. "No way," she said quickly, "Who would do it because of him? Never. I swear on my life, that's definitely not it. My goal wasn't to get revenge on him when I went to stud acting!" she said loudly and Ren had to take a couple of steps back so that he wasn't pushed over by her energetic reply.

Ren was stunned but he wanted to rely on his acting skills in order to keep a calm and neutral expression. He didn't want to show his shock at her loud words and the energy that she had hurled towards him. "Then…" he said as he stood there, his body language more open and relaxed, "For what reason?"

Kyoko stood thoughtfully as she gazed out into the distance. Acting had started to mean a lot to her and she could feel the passion that Ren felt when he acted. It was as if it were a new type of magic. "Maybe it's to change to a new Kyoko Mogami," she announced.

Ren watched her. That was what he had wanted for her, for her to be free from the shackles of the past and it seemed that she was getting her wish. His lips parted as he watched her. She was like a new flower in spring, filled with possibilities and innocence.

"I," Kyoko continued, "have never done anything I've wanted to do since I was young. Every time I did something, it was for someone else, for other people. I've always lived till now," Kyoko sighed as she seemed to look into her past and Ren could understand her feelings but this was what he had desired for her. He hadn't wanted her to focus her energy upon other people when she only had one life to live. She deserved the happiness that he didn't.

Kyoko laughed happily, her smile lighting up the area and making Ren forget about his trouble with the script, "but, It's different now. Learning how to act, I feel like I'm doing it for myself, using it to create my new self. This makes me very happy. I want to experience more things, absorb more, and open up my own world. That's why I started to learn how to act." Kyoko blushed as she thought about the new her that could be possible. She was living in a world where she might even be able to create the purity that Shotaro had stolen from her.

Feeling nervous about what she had said, she looked down nervously. "I bet, you don't believe me."

Ren looked upon her affectionately, his smile could bring anyone happiness and there was a sense of pride in his eyes as he gazed at her. He was happy for her. He was happy for his friend.

"No," Ren shook his head and Kyoko looked up at him, her heart pounding in her chest. "I believe you."

 **End of Act 56**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 55**

Erza, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD,


	58. Act 57 - The Unattainable 100 Percent

**Act 57 – The Unattainable 100%**

Kyoko watched Ren with a grin on her face. Even though he was sick with a headache, he was still acting and still working. He was trying to perform and that was admirable. He had such a duty to his job and for the people around him that he wasn't just going to complain about being sick. That was something that she shared with him. She didn't want to disappoint him _or_ those who were around her. He was sick but because he loved acting so much, he was trying his best and he was capitvating.

Whatever he had sacrificed to be able to perform his job so well, he was keeping that in mind and one day maybe he'd be able to get back what he traded for a chance to be in the acting arena. She idolized him and admired him and now that she had seen his work up close, she knew that she wanted to be just like him.

She wanted to be an actress that Japan would be proud to call one of its own. Kyoko held onto the text book for her future examination but despite knowing that she had to study in order to do her best on the tests, she kept watching him. He was stunning and breath catching and it felt like an impossible idea to look away from him for even a second.

Kyoko felt her heart beat as she remembered the smile that he had given her when she had said that she wanted to create a new version of herself and she didn't want to do it for anyone else's benefit, just her own. He was kind and affectionate and she felt honored to have been chosen by him. She definitely didn't want to risk creating a divide in their friendship ever again.

She was proud to be his friend. She was happy that she got to watch him up close. She really hated to admit it but couldn't she love him and yet still pretend to wrestle with that love? It was a possibility.

…..

…..

Kuon came out of his bedroom later that night with a new water bottle that he had taken out of the fridge. He looked at Kyoko who had fallen asleep atop of her books at the table in the living room. He smiled as he watched her. She looked so blissful and happy. He hated to wake her but he knew that she would strain her back in her current condition. As much as waking her would break this image of her being so peaceful and innocent, it was for her own good that he were to do so.

He smiled to himself as he got closer to her and gently put a hand to the top of her head, he stroked her hair away from her forehead just slightly. "Missy," he grinned as he sat opposite her. "You'll catch a cold sleeping here," he said as she started to wake up. His hand – his touch, it felt nice. It was soothing her, making her feel better. She blinked as she looked up at him and saw the dazzling smile.

"There's a bed in the guest room," he told her, "Have a good sleep," he said and Kyoko was caught back by the sincerity of his words and the way he obviously cared about her. She felt a little strange. Not many people cared about her in the way that he seemed to right at this moment. Kyoko pulled back in shock and fear. Had she shown him a more vulnerable part of herself, she hadn't meant to.

"What? That type of reaction?" he asked, focusing on the shocked expression that she had carried on her face.

"No-nothing," Kyoko said quickly. She was trying to keep her heart from reacting to his words but seeing such a graceful smile on his lips had caught her by surprise. It was as if she were living inside of her own romantic movie or fairy tale. She had wanted to live in her fairy tale for so long but Shotaro had shown her the misfortunes of those silly women. She didn't want to substitute Kuon into his place.

"You didn't sleep last night because you were taking care of me, right?" Kuon asked her and Kyoko remained speechless, "Even if you are taking an exam, there's a limit to studying."

Kyoko looked at him in shock. She couldn't reject other people's kindness, especially the people who were depending on her. She had often felt that she had failed her own mother, she never wanted to fail anyone else ever again. "The president was kind enough to arrange for my studies and I didn't really study before that," she said quickly. She had been watching him act with such enthusiasm that the acting had become her first priority.

"I want to know," Kuon said in a calm voice, "Why do you want to study so much?"

Kyoko looked at him panicked, her face turned a bright red as she looked at him.

"You're acting as if you must get perfect on all subjects."

Kyoko sat upright as her face showed that she had just realized this. She had always wanted to get the highest marks possible because her mother would never let anything less than perfect be seen from her own daughter. That made it nearly impossible for Kyoko to concentrate on anything else and she was always putting herself down and calling herself stupid and not good enough when those lower marks were returned to her. She gasped as she looked straight in front of her and Kuon looked at her sympathetically.

Kyoko realized that no matter what she did, her mother would not be looking over her shoulder so she didn't have to worry about that. She wasn't trying to get these test scores that her mother would demand, she only had to do well enough to get into the school. Her mother had never been pleased by anything that she had done but this time it wasn't up to her mother and she had unknowingly been pulled into her thinking.

As she realized the time and effort that she had spent still living within her mother's traps. Kyoko laughed. She had been caught in the habits that her mother had placed her in. She was trying to do things that she would have done when she was a child when, in fact, her situation was much different than when she had been that younger Kyoko.

Kuon smiled as Kyoko managed to free herself, her laughter proving that she was getting happier and happier in her life. The joy had to continue to spread. Kuon would do anything to help that joy continue to spread in Kyoko's heart. Seeing her happy brought him happiness that he hadn't felt for a long time. It was healthy to care about other people and it was a situation that he had forgotten recently.

"Working hard is a good thing," Kuon tried to advise, "but nothing should be overdone or else it would be a shame to faint on the day of the exam." Kyoko looked at him with wide eyes which gave Kuon the information that that had happened to her before. She would often stay up all night trying to cram the information into her head and then feel dizzy during the actual test and not be able to concentrate on it. "Was I right?" Kuon asked and Kyoko nodded weakly.

"My body's not as weak as yesterday," he told her as he continued to smile to her, "sleep tight tonight. Go and clean yourself up with a bath," he told her and Kyoko's eyes widened. It hadn't been since she lived here that she had had a bath and she missed them a lot. Kuon's bath was also luxurious, the water temperature was warm and the bath was a good size. She had often felt that she was getting pampered just by being in there.

"I don't live here…taking a bath is…" Kyoko said nervously and Kuon blinked.

"What?" he asked with a neutral expression on his face, "are you worried?" he asked before raising an eyebrow. Was she having feelings for him? He had told her to try to not fall for him, he couldn't afford to have special people here who he might have to abandon at a moment's notice or with no notice at all. "Are you scared that I'd peek while you take your bath?" he asked and Kyoko stared at him.

Kyoko paused as she looked at Kuon who was shrugging as if telling her that he could easily get better than her. Kyoko paused, she knew that she was younger than the women he would probably want to date. She knew she wasn't the most attractive or the most sexy but she had a strong feeling that he had only made such a gesture and expression in order to piss her off.

"Then, I'll just help myself and use the bathroom," Kyoko announced passionately and Kuon smiled.

"Okay, please do," he said as he grabbed another bottle of water. "I will have to sleep as well. You know where the guest room is so please don't come to the wrong room."

Kyoko stared at him, "I wouldn't come even if you begged me," she argued and Kuon laughed.

"Because it's comfortable, don't end up –"

"I will not fall asleep in the bathroom!" Kyoko continued passionately and Kuon shook his head playfully as he made his way to the bedroom. Kyoko stood up too, she stared after him and saw that playful expression on his face.

"Because you can't sleep, don't end up-"

"I will not oversleep" Kyoko said and didn't realized that Kuon was smiling at how cute she was when she acted so passionately. Of course, it was different than most of the people who surrounded Kuon. She wasn't trying to flirt with him and being coy and playful but being real. He needed real in his world.

…

…

As the morning began, Ren and Kyoko both felt a shared anger as they sat in the car in the middle of traffic. Things were not going well and Kyoko didn't want to risk the one thing that it seemed they would lose the most at this time, Ren's perfect attendance record. There was nothing that they could do at this point and Kyoko was coming up with numerous possibilities but none of those seemed to be working.

The driver of the car felt the sweat run down the back of his shirt as he tried to keep his calm.

"Mister," Kyoko said as she leaned forwards, the sound of cars honking all around her. "The car hasn't moved for a long time," she said as she attempted to keep calm, "we'll end up being late if this continues."

"This…" the driver said as he felt himself in a very unfortunate situation, "I can't do anything."

 **End of Act 57**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 56**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, luv2readgirl


	59. Act 58 - On The Back of a Bicycle

**AN:** Yes, this is mostly a copy of the Skip Beat manga but put in a novel format. Skip Beat is written by Yoshiki Nakamura. However, I would say that I have between 40-50 original Skip Beat fics on this site so I am by no means someone lacking in originality or who only knows how to steal. Also, there will be some new stuff in the next chapters too

 **Act 58 – On The Back of A Bicycle**

Kyoko leaned forwards, her hand gripping onto the shoulder of the driver as dark energy seemed to spiral around the car. "You are a driver," she told him in a menacing kind of manner. "Use your driver knowledge to think of something. Like bump the other cars out of the way and destroy them," she urged as she seemed to intimidate the older man.

Ren looked at her in shock, had she just said that? Anyone would be scared and he didn't know where Kyoko had gained _her_ driver's knowledge but it seemed to have come right out of a Grand Theft Auto game. He felt a little sweat trickle down his back. She was asking for some quite unreasonable things. He watched her cautiously.

"Enough, don't ask such an impossible question. Are you drunk?" Ren asked before humming as he tried to come up with any alternatives that would solve their problems.

"But if this continues, you'll really be late," Kyoko tried to urge him. She was desperate as she sank forwards in the seat, "Your perfect attendance will be ruined." Kyoko said and Ren looked at her before sighing, he knew that he really felt pride in it and Kyoko was obviously trying to protect his sacrifice but there were things in life that had to happen anyway. He had never been sick before but he had been sick the past few days.

He'd just have to apologize and go for a near perfect but there were still options. He sat there and though about what to do before it came to him, "The subway should be faster," he commented and Kyoko stared at him as if he had just announced that the sacrifice he had made was that he would never be able to go back to his home planet. No. He wasn't an alien, he wasn't a fairy, but he certainly didn't seem to have a sense of who he was.

Kyoko stared at him as images flooded her mind of how she couldn't do anything to protect him when it came to a subway. People would come running onto their car in order to just breathe the same air that Ren Tsuruga had. That comment sounded as if it had no place being in reality and she felt that he had wanted to suggest something that should be happening but instead he had not thought it through at all. He wasn't aware of his own fame and that was problematic, even Shotaro was aware of who he was.

"Driver," Ren said as Kyoko froze, "We'll get out here, please stop."

"Oh, all right, hold on" he said and Kyoko looked around trying to think of a way where they didn't have to go on the subway but the roads seemed blocked. She paused as she heard the sound of a bell in her head before turning to the side and she felt her heart light up inside of her. She rushed out, her sole motive was to get that bike. If she used all her powers and rode with Tsuruga-san on the back of the bike then she could make sure he kept his honor. She just needed to get that bike.

…

…

As Ren was handed the change from the cab driver, he turned to the side to see that Kyoko had disappeared. He hadn't even realized that she had left the car and she had just bolted? Was she that desperate to go to the train station?

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko called out and Ren froze as she was perched on the seat of a bike that had a lot of schools and ominous design to it. He felt startled at seeing her there. She looked as if she was intending to have him ride on the bike with her. "Quickly! Come sit!" she almost ordered and Ren felt himself sweat slightly as he looked around.

"You….how did you get the bicycle?" he asked wanting to know what kinds of powers she really had. Kyoko looked back at him with a strong smile.

"A very generous person leant it to me," she told him and Ren concentrated on her face enough to ignore the person behind her that seemed to be talking about the darkness that had come to him when Kyoko approached him. Somehow Kuon managed to break through that darkness, he wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

"You want to use the bicycle to take me? How is that possible?" Ren asked as he tried to think about the weight capabilities on the bike and Kyoko still looked at him determined. Ren's brain was trying to figure the physics out and how much time it would take to pedal there carrying that much weight but Kyoko seemed immune to thinking about that. "Impossible."

"I will make it!" Kyoko said with strong determination, "No matter what I have to do! Like a cheetah!"

Ren looked to Kyoko with wide eyes as she seemed determined to ride the bicycle and carry him to their workplace. She had such determination to help him with his dreams and Ren definitely was grateful for that. He took a deep breath as he took a step back to observe the situation.

"Because this is my job," Kyoko said with conviction. She turned her attention to the sky and held her hand to her chest, she was embracing the true Kyoko who had been in her since before her birth. "No matter what, we have to be on time. You have a perfect attendance record. That's why, as your manager, that's me, will help you keep it."

Ren looked at Kyoko. At first he wanted to argue with her that he didn't believe the plausibility of her -plan and that he could see some obvious points where it was failing but then seeing her eyes and seeing that fire within them, he laughed. He was no match for her, that was one thing that he had learned that weekend. She had grown up strong and resilient and hopefully she would never have to try to get her revenge ever again.

He grinned as he saw how much she wanted it and how it would nurture her to continue acting and move away from the rage and jealousy that came when she finally told him that she didn't care about her revenge anymore. He would have to give her the 100% stamp which will help her in the eyes of the president.

As Ren sat down on the seat of the bike, there was a powerful push forward as if he were on some kind of roller coaster ride or as if Kyoko were the headless horsemen with a strong pursuit. He could feel the way that the tires went across the street and the fire that was becoming Kyoko being part of the bicycle but as they rode the bike along more and more people were spotting him. This would have been worse were he standing still. The subway most likely would not have been a good idea.

Kyoko could feel the herd coming after her like a pack of stampeding wilderbeast who wouldn't stop until after the death of the king of Pride Rock and over time there were more people running after them. "Don't worry," Kyoko tried to assure Ren, "I'll definitely lose them!" she said and Ren laughed as he studied her face. He now believed that she really could do anything.

"You sure?" he asked and Kyoko grinned, the sun reflecting off the smile and making it so that Ren wasn't able to keep his eyes off of her.

"Of course!" Kyoko said proudly, "Leave it to me!"

Ren smiled as he continued to study her. It was amazing that she had been able to break free of the pain of her past but she hadn't seen herself that way. She still seemed to imagine herself as being claimed and destroyed by Shotaro but Ren had to admit that she was stunning. He nodded with a smile as the rest of the world seemed to clear away, "Okay. I'll leave it to you." He told her and Kyoko laughed as they rode off into the horizon.

…

…

Kuon smiled as he sat on his bed holding the phone to his ear. He was glad that Kyoko had contacted him to tell him that she had passed her tests and that had full marks on the entrance exam. He had been hoping for that and it was good of her to want to tell him. He smiled. He had to go overseas to shoot in only a few days but maybe there was something he could do for her or get her to say congratulations.

"Well," Kuon chuckled, "Congratulations. Thank you, though, for your performance as my temporary manager. I am very thankful that I was able to have your assistance, I don't think that I would have been able to do it without you."

"How's your throat?" Kyoko asked, her voice sounding anxious and Kuon grinned. He was grateful that someone cared about him on a human level. Yes, she definitely deserved that 100 points mark. She had taken care of him and given him love and that was what she was meant to do as a Love Me member.

"It's better. I think that I'll be okay. Let me know if there is anything that I can do to repay you," the actor chuckled.

"No. No, that's, that's not why I did, umm, uh, I mean the stamp bu-" Kyoko said quickly and Kuon chortled as he imagined her face turning a deep and embarrassing shade of red. He bowed his head and smiled before getting up and going over to the kitchen where she had made him some meals and drinks for when he needed nutrition. He liked having here. Not having her here made him crave her in a way that a man of his age shouldn't do with a girl of her age.

"Anyway, I have to go out of town on a shoot but I would very much like to take you out to celebrate your success with the placement tests," Kuon told her and there was silence on the other end of the line. Kuon reached out for a cup and turned it around in his hand whilst studying it. "Kyoko?" he asked and Kyoko coughed in response.

"Take out? Like a hitman?" she asked and Kuon almost dropped the cup as his eyes widened. What did she think of him? What kind of weird ideas were in her head? He would never do anything of the kind especially when it came to her.

"No, to dinner," Kuon smiled. "It's not a date but -"

"Can I cook for you?" Kyoko asked nervously and Kuon smiled as he thought back on when she had tried to feed him flowers because that's what she believed fairies ate.

"Yes," he grinned. "I look forward to it."

 **End of Act 58**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 57**

Brennakai, Erza, Kaname671, Kris XD, marianmerza


	60. Act 59 - Schoolgirl

**AN:** With the publish of this chapter, I've reached 2.5M words on my account. Yay 😊

 **Act 59 – Schoolgirl**

Kuon didn't really understand why he was taking so much care cleaning the home and preparing it for Kyoko to come over and cook for him. She had only been here three days ago, she knew what the apartment looked like. What was she going to do? Demote him for having crumbs on the counter? Tell him that she hated him for having soap residue in the sink? Okay, maybe _he_ would demote himself for those things but Kyoko knew what the environment looked like.

He had asked her if there were any ingredients that she wanted. She had said that she would want to go shopping with him, for him, and he had insisted that they _could_ go shopping but he would pay for the ingredients. He put some flowers in a vase and prepared some tea so that he could offer Kyoko some. He had also bought a present for Kyoko – not something too extravagant – that was wrapped and sitting against the wall.

Yashiro was right. People usually only did these types of things for people that they loved. He cared about Kyoko and their friendship very much but he wasn't in love with her for real. He was just reacting to emotions that he had tried to push away for a very long time.

As he heard his cell phone, he went to grab it and saw that it was Kyoko's number. He didn't understand the smile that reflected on his face as he studied the number, she had called him in the past. Those feelings that he had buried far beneath the surface were coming out and he was misreading them, misdirecting them.

"Hi," Kuon said as he picked the phone up, "Tsuruga Ren speaking."

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said in a flustered state and Kuon smiled as he heard her. He kept thinking about how cute she sounded as she tried to speak to him. Somehow her innocence made her even more attractive but was that wrong when it came from a man so much older than her. "I'm here. Did you want me to come up?"

"I'll meet you outside," Kuon said as he grabbed his card key, wallet, jacket, and shoes and went downstairs. The tea might be a little cold when they returned but he could make her some more. He went down the steps before his eyes widened in surprise and he smiled with a chuckle as he saw her. Kyoko was standing in a very formal position, as per usual, but the difference was that she was wearing her school uniform. She really did look adorable in it.

"I like it, Mogami-san," Ren said as he got into character and Kyoko nodded.

"I like it too," she announced. "I feel that I want to earn this uniform. I know that a lot of my classmates have acting and singing assignments and that's not me yet," she said as she rubbed her upper back with a weak laugh, "but I'll do my best."

"I'm sure that with your talents you'll land jobs quite easily," Ren told her and Kyoko turned a deep red. She bowed her head, shaking her head as she became even more flustered.

"No, don't say that, there are lots of talented actors out there and I'm only beginning, I can't get a leading role or an important role just yet," she said quickly before looking up at Ren and saw that glorious smile on his face that made her heart stop in her chest.

"I believe in you. Remember that it's important to stand out and set yourself apart from everyone else," he winked before gesturing to the area where the convenience store was. "It's over here if you want to follow me," he said and Kyoko quickly followed him.

As they entered the supermarket, Ren grabbed a basket and Kyoko looked around. There were so many high priced items here. This wasn't the usual type of store that she would even gain entrance to without Ren. People still kept glancing at Ren but she could tell from the designer clothes and also from magazines that she had seen that these were people of Ren's class level. She was a little conspicuous here.

"So," Ren smiled, "What did you want to make?"

"How about sukiyaki," Kyoko said before trying to think if Ren had all the cooking equipment for that. Ren nodded and Kyoko looked around for the ingredients. She would make extra and when she made extra she could put them in the fridge for him to eat later. At least he would have some proper food to heat up.

"That sounds delicious," Ren told her and Kyoko went to look at the beef. She saw Ren pick up the more expensive one and her eyes widened. Did he know how to cook? Well, maybe since he didn't really pay attention to what he ate, he didn't really know how but it seemed like the rich jerk thing to do to expect the more expensive to be better.

"Here," Kyoko said as she took it out of his hands. "This one might be better," she said as she picked up another packet. "This is cheaper but it's a more well known brand," she told him and Ren blinked. Even though the second packet was a similar price, Ren felt that Kyoko knew more about food than he did and was willing to trust her.

"Now," Kyoko said as she put the meat in his basket, "Let's think about the different vegetables, which way is that?" she asked as she turned to scan the store hoping to locate them.

Ren laughed and led her in the direction where they were, "I would say that they are over here," he said and Kyoko saw them, she picked up some produce bags and carefully selected which ones they could use. He chuckled as he studied her picking up the different food items, turning them over in her hands to inspect them and then putting them into the basket with a wide grin.

"What?" Kyoko asked as she heard his laughter and Ren shook his head, the smile still plastered on his face. "Seriously," she said as she raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"I really enjoy spending time with you like this," he told her and Kyoko's eyes widened before she looked down and nodded.

"Me too," she said and Ren walked over to her. He studied her. Who could ever say that this beautiful and unique girl was ever plain and boring when in his eyes, she was anything but that.

…

…

After the meal was finished and they had both felt like they had eaten enough, Kyoko jumped up. She was ready to put it in the boxes to store in the fridge. However, Kuon stood and looked at her with a meaningful expression in his eyes.

"Could you sit for a moment?" he asked and Kyoko slowly sat down.

"I don't mind doing the dishes," she said quickly, "I mean, I said that I would cook for you. I want to be able to clean the dishes as well. I don't want to cause you to have extra work just because I wanted to eat here rather than -"

"It's not about the dishes, we can do those together," Kuon commented and Kyoko looked at him. Kuon stood up and went to the side of the room where the wrapped box was positioned. He picked it up and then returned to Kyoko's side. "I know that it's not much but this is to say congratulations on passing your test."

Kyoko's eyes widened and she turned a little pale. "No, you didn't have to give me a gift. It's okay," she said and Kuon handed it to her. Kyoko held it in her hands before leaning forwards in a deep and respectful bow. "Thank you so much for this. May I open it now?"

"I'd be honored if you would," Kuon told her and Kyoko opened the box to see a school bag in there with a princess charm on it. Though it looked nearly identical to what the rest of the student body would be using, there were different fairytale pictures that you could see but only if it was in the exact right light. The administration wouldn't see this unless they inspected it carefully.

"Thank you," Kyoko said happily as she hugged the school bag close to her. It was such a personal gift and one that truly could only come from Corn. She had tears in her eyes and she put the bag down but only so she could hug him. Her arms wrapped around him. "Thank you, Corn," she said.

Kuon smiled. He didn't know why this girl's smile made him feel the way that he did but he truly felt that he could now conquer the world. Nobody had ever made him feel like that before. That was Kyoko's own special magic.

…

…..

Every morning when it came time to school, Kyoko would look at the bag and think of him. He would be returning from his international shoot pretty soon and at that time she would ask him for her stamp for being his manager. Still, he had been the one to use his magic once again even if he wasn't fully aware of it. He had a special type of magic, Corn's magic, but he had become so pained that he didn't seem to believe in it anymore.

He had been the one who had led to her getting the full marks though. He had been the one to inspire her to live for herself and follow her own path. He had destroyed the armor that she had protected himself with. Even if he had just said it off hand, her mood was lightened by the idea that she could just be the best Kyoko that she could be. _He_ had given that to her.

Kyoko got dressed into her school uniform in front of the mirror, she made sure that her ribbon was straight and that her clothes had been pressed well, she smoothed down her shirt before turning and admiring herself in the mirror. She loved the way that as she turned she could feel the breeze from her skirt.

She was now able to enjoy life and not only her life with LME and with Daruma-ya but she was able to live life as a regular high school student. It was something she had always dreamed about. As she went down the stairs, she found Okami-san and Taisho in the kitchen and bowed to them.

"Taisho, Okami-san, I'm going to school now," she told them energetically.

Okami-san turned to her with a smile, "Okay. Go On and Be Careful," she said as she treated Kyoko as if she were her own daughter. Kyoko nodded eagerly, she was happy to have their support. As Kyoko left the restaurant she went towards her bike and cycled to school. She was happy about the life that she was living, it was a life that she was always meant to live.

What she had trouble with were the facts that she couldn't make friends since everyone else was famous and had their own groups. No. She had Moko-chan, she didn't need to be surrounded by her own friends and she didn't need to relive the past. If these people found out her friendship with Ren then the isolation would begin all over again. They didn't need to know about that.

 **End of Act 59**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 58**

Erza, Kaname671, Kris XD


	61. Act 60 - Shotaro's Minions

**AN:** Just a heads up. I no longer read the new chapters when they are released and I really don't care what happens in them (other than the return of a Hizuri or Kuon dying). I'm not trying to point anyone else here but I'm on Volume 10 of my reread. Anything that happened this year, I don't care about. Sorry/Not Sorry.

 **Act 60 – Shotaro's Minions**

Kyoko sat with her book in front of her. She had been in the school for maybe a month and a half now and Ren just seemed to have his overseas shooting stretch longer and longer and when he _was_ in Japan it would only be for a couple of days maximum and their schedules would clash. She missed talking to her friend but she couldn't help but to admire his dreams.

"Eeh," a boy said as he passed by her desk, "So busy, so busy." He complained and Kyoko sighed as she heard someone who was even younger than her complaining about his career whilst being in school but she had become used to it. "I have to get going after this."

"Me too," his friend said and Kyoko sighed. Everyone seemed to be doing this, not able to attend classes because of their other jobs but hopefully she would soon get to be among them. She had been able to enter this particular class because of the president but sometimes that meant that she was the only one in the class especially if there was a holiday approaching where new songs had to be recorded or tours had to be attended or rehearsals. Hopefully soon that would be her life but it wasn't right now.

Kyoko sighed as she listened to some of her other classmates talking.

"So tiring, I am starting to film outside tomorrow so I can't go back to school for a while."

"I have to go on a tour starting next week. It'll probably be exhausting."

"It's so tiring, we are two hardworking students."

Kyoko shook her head. Her classmates didn't mean any offense by this and as it seemed to be everyone who was doing it, nobody took a step back to see how privileged they were but each time Kyoko heard them talking she felt that they were praising themselves for their weaknesses even though they were talking about working as a celebrity.

Kyoko tried not to let it bother her, all her classmates seemed really busy but she hadn't even heard of their names. She wasn't very in touch with who people were in the acting field though and definitely not the people who were singers. The only name that seemed to run through her mind was Shotaro's name and that came with a lot of dislike. Still, there were some students in the class who weren't even aware of Kyoko's existence.

Kyoko sighed before getting out her bento box which was left overs from the previous night at Daruma-ya. She had been able to be given these because she had helped cook breakfast in the morning and she was more than excited, Taisho's food always tasted amazing. She took a deep inhale as she smelled the delicious aroma but then felt a sweat drop descend the back of her head as one of the classmates she disliked the most approached her.

Kyoko definitely didn't like Mimori. She had the body and look that attracted many men, she had good dimensions and she was famous. However, her attitude was terrible and this she kept hidden from her fans, the fans that she had anyway.

"Mogami-san," Mimori Nanokura said as she pushed a hand through her hair and then tossed it back with a pretty but still uptight laugh. "You look free, you don't have any work today?" she asked and Kyoko tried hard not to get into an argument with her that would distance herself from the rest of the class even more.

Kyoko turned with a strained smile. She tried not to get mad at her but she knew that for some reason Mimori was attempting to trap her. "Yea-yes," Kyoko said weakly. She didn't want to tell her that she had actually done her filming for Kimagure Rock where she worked as Bo. People would laugh at her in that role and she didn't want for them to know of her weakness. She definitely didn't want it circulating among those who sang because she didn't want Shotaro to know for sure that it was her.

"Really," Mimori gasped pretending to show interest in Kyoko, "So you can stay in school all day?"

"Haha," Kyoko laughed weakly, "Yeah."

Mimori sighed, "Aww," she said mockingly and with an expression on her face where Kyoko knew immediately that Mimori thought that she was pathetic and stupid. "How pitiful. You have to stay in school like this for the whole day, I bet you feel really ashamed, right?"

Kyoko returned with a deadpan look showing that Mimori wouldn't be able to affect her with just these words. Kyoko had dealt with people like her, people who wanted to feel like the most important person in the world, people who wanted the boys to love them. Sure, maybe with her celebrity status she had more reason to feel powerful but Kyoko wasn't going to allow herself to be intimidated by her.

"No," Kyoko said bluntly, "Not at all."

Kyoko turned to her lunch as Mimori took a few steps back in alarm. She hadn't expected this type of a reaction, usually if she was mean to someone they would cry but Kyoko seemed completely unaffected. She was strange, beyond strange.

"Im—impossible!" Mimori replied, having been knocked off guard, "If it were me I would not be able to handle it and would have already requested to switch to a normal class," she said and Kyoko rolled her eyes. This was just Mimori saying that she wanted Kyoko to get out of the class. It wasn't' anything about Mimori herself and Kyoko just felt annoyed by this. "You're so thick skinned."

Yes. Kyoko was thick skinned. She didn't let girls like Mimori intimidate her anymore. She wasn't going to let someone like her push her around. Her life was more important than to fall for something like that.

Mimori started laughing, "but, if you were not this way then you couldn't possibly stand it," she continued to comment and Kyoko rolled her eyes. "You are acting as if those jobs you have gotten from the company are jobs you have found yourself."

This made Kyoko sit up straighter. The job that Mimori was referring to was for the Kando commercial. She had worked hard on that, located the audition paperwork and done her best not only for the audition but for the job as well. The agency wasn't supposed to be finding jobs for her yet because she hadn't gained enough points as a Love Me member. She had to work hard to find them for herself and Mimori's lack of knowledge and bluntness of delivery was enough to truly piss Kyoko off.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kyoko asked as she looked at Mimori extremely annoyed by her.

Mimori gasped, "Oops," she laughed as if she had made a mistake and Kyoko knew that there was no such part of that sentence that was a mistake. "I have to get to work now or else I'll get scolded," she said as she turned and skipped away whilst singing to herself. She really was the kind of person that Kyoko just couldn't stand.

There was something extremely wrong with that girl and she always left a bitter taste in Kyoko's palette.

…..

…..

As Kyoko rode her bike back home, she couldn't help but to keep reflecting back on Mimori's behavior. She kept getting a nagging feeling when she thought of her that was hard to describe. She was a fake, a phony, and a fool. She could just be honest and speak bluntly but that seemed to be beneath her. Most people would tell someone bluntly that they didn't like them and Kyoko didn't have a problem saying it to her. However, she acted in a twisted way that made it hard for Kyoko to know exactly whwat she was thinking and that was extremely annoying.

She scowled as she continued to have these bitter and frustrated thoughts. This wasn't in any way acceptable, it wasn't cool and Kyoko wanted to tell Kanae about it when they were at the acting school together. She sighed. That was what you did when you had a best friend. You could vent to them about certain things.

Kyoko stopped as she heard music coming from one of the huge screens that loomed over the city and her attention was caught by the Kyurara commercial as Moko-chan laughed happily and Kyoko felt such joy in seeing her. You were supposed to celebrate a friend's success and Kyoko wanted for Kanae to have even greater success in the future.

As the image changed to her though, Kyoko started feeling like a fake. She could smile the same as Moko but she didn't have the same energy as Moko and she didn't draw such strong a light. As much as she had enjoyed the shoot, she didn't feel like a superstar in the way that Kanae did. She felt plain and ordinary and she didn't want to hear those words that Shotaro had said to her ever again.

Her face turned bright red as she saw her get soaked by the water. She didn't want to see this, it was embarrassing seeing such a huge picture of yourself with everyone watching. She wished that she could ignore it but this was one way of becoming an actress and she had to grit her teeth and deal with it. As she tried to calm down, she put her hands over her eyes. No matter how many times she saw it, it was embarrassing to her and she needed to look away.

It was weird for her to appear on TV in front of everyone. She didn't want to hear people's reactions and she didn't need to be reminded that she wasn't a real celebrity. She found a couple of girls staring at the screen with wonder in their eyes.

"Ah," one of them said, "Kyurara's commercial. It's big screen."

"Kando's commercial is always so unique," the other one said and Kyoko felt a little rude about eavesdropping on them but they were girls with real reactions. She wanted to hear what she could have done better on for next time and she wanted to be complimented. Very few people ever complimented her and those who did di it because they knew her.

"It looks so pretty," the first one commented as the two engaged in conversation.

"The girls in the commercial are very cute too."

"Actually, the girl with the long hair is my favorite type."

"I know, she is very pretty."

"Then what about the girl with the short hair?"

"Uh, nothing special. Very ordinary."

Kyoko froze as she heard those words and remembered the things that Shotaro had said about her. Kyoko fell sideways as her body seemed to freeze remembering those memories that made her want to commit murder. She fell onto her face, getting strange looks from the surrounding people.

"You're right," the girl replied, "even though she isn't that bad but she lacks charisma. Seems like a poor girl."

Kyoko sighed. They were right. She was a poor girl and ever since the commercial had started to broadcast she kept hearing complaints that made her heart drop like it was brought down by rocks. The only people who had praised her were people who knew her and she guessed that they wanted to encourage her more. Everyone must think she was very ordinary and she definitely needed to try to stand out more. She wasn't like Kanae. She didn't have the natural beauty that Moko did but she had hoped that she didn't lack charisma. In fact, that type of a complaint angered her a lot.

She scowled like a demon and went down the street, her footsteps becoming louder. Everyone in the world was acting like they were Shoatro's minions and repeating his words. They were all thinking his thoughts as if they were stuck in a cult. She really wanted to punch him right now. Her evil spirits surrounded her as she grew even angrier before she felt a jolt from her pocket and a loud bell sound.

What was that?

 **End of Act 60**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 59**

Kaname671, Kris XD,


	62. Act 61 - To Thank You

**Act 61 – To Thank You**

Kyoko smiled as she dug out her phone from her pocket. She wondered if it was Kanae or whether it was Sawara-san, both of those would be exciting for her because if it _was_ Sawara-san, that might mean that she had a job offer for a new commercial or he knew of an audition. No. People would want Moko for the jobs, not her. Still, an audition where she could prove herself seemed fun.

Kyoko paused as she saw that her phone wasn't showing anything, maybe a result of the low battery power. She didn't realize that she had accidentally turned the show caller ID off. She picked it up thinking that it would be from the office. "Hello?" she asked before the voice on the other end made her heart stop.

"Hi," Ren said and Kyoko heard his cool smooth voice, it made her heart stop in her chest and she felt a warm feeling rushing through her veins as if she were special. As far as she knew, he was still overseas but she wanted to see him. She wanted to tell him all about her first weeks at school. "It always takes you so long to answer the phone," he joked.

Kyoko felt her back straighten as if she were being scolded by him. No. She wasn't getting scolded, she hadn't done anything that she needed to be scolded for.

"Still not used to using your cellphone?" Ren said with a soft laugh and Kyoko's eyes widened. He was calling her whilst she was out in public. She felt scared to say his name because then people might come to a weird conclusion and she wanted to protect him. How was she supposed to answer this call when she was standing in a busy street. She knew it was his voice which meant that he must be back in Japan and she wanted to see him but she couldn't say that. She couldn't draw attention to herself.

"Also," Ren said as he obviously didn't understand the feelings that the phone call had brought to her, "You count as an artist who has been on TV already, you should not walk the streets with a scary face," he commented and Kyoko felt a shock through her. How was he able to know the expression that was on her face? Was he watching her somewhere? Why couldn't he say hi like a normal - no, the real question was, why wasn't she hearing the screams of fangirls in the distance all swooning over him?

Kyoko looked around wanting to find him, she wanted to talk to him and update him on her life. He always listened to her when she said those things. She wanted to find him. "No," he laughed, "My bad, even if you aren't an artist, a lady should not make such a scary face. Am I right?" he asked and Kyoko whipped her head from side to side trying to search for him. She had been eagerly anticipating his return to Japan and now that he was near her, he was hiding from her? Didn't he realize how much she wanted to see him.

Kyoko finally looked up and saw Yashiro-san standing there looking down at her and Kyoko felt her heart shake in her chest telling her how nervous she was but the fact was that where there was Yashiro, Ren wasn't usually far behind. Finally, Kyoko turned in the right direction and saw his smiling face. She had missed him. She had missed her good friend so much. Corn always made her feel stronger and she didn't want to burden him by telling him how lonely she had been when he had gone away. Even if they were arguing about him being ill, he comforted her more than she had ever been comforted in the past.

She noticed the dreamy smile on his face as he wore his jacket and a loose tee. He could wear anything and with that affection in his eyes, she would think him the most gorgeous man in the world. Still, after so much sacrifice, she couldn't expect for him to make future sacrifices, especially for her.

She saw him walk – almost gliding – down the steps as he approached her. Kyoko sighed, trying to stop herself from swooning. She needed to be strong and dependable. She needed to push away romance and embrace friendship, _that's_ what he deserved. As the two of them approached Kyoko she tried to keep herself balanced, her breathing steady. She wanted to approach them professionally since Ren had warned her not to treat him like Kuon out in public.

"Congratulations, Kyoko-san," Yashiro said with a strong smile on his face as he faced the sixteen-year-old, "Your first commercial is out for the world to see," he said and Kyoko nodded. Both of them were a little confused over why she wasn't more excited about this. Yashiro paused, was this the humble nature that Ren had mentioned. "You did an excellent job. You looked very cute in the commercial."

Kyoko paused. She had been hearing that a lot and it made her feel a little angry. Only the people that she already knew had such a reaction and cute wasn't what she was going for. Anyone could be cute, you didn't even have to be human to be cute. "Is that so?" she asked with a dark anger circling around her which confused Yashiro, "Thank you very much."

Kyoko shook her head and then pulled her head up so that she could make eye contact with Ren. She was trying to avoid talking about how much she missed him and how she had wanted for him to return sooner. It wasn't her place to make comments of that nature. "Let's not talk about such a boring thing right now, Tsuruga-san."

Yashiro's eyes widened and he began to twitch as he had to ask himself why Kyoko had used that word. This was her first commercial, her first acting job, it was a precious memory to her, right? Was she really calling her debut boring, most people would be thrilled at seeing themselves on a large TV screen.

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said and then looked away, "Your number didn't come up on my phone. Is it -"

Ren blinked at her before pulling his phone out and noticed that it was set on an international mode. Kyoko's phone was probably too basic to handle the complicated coding that the other people's cell phones he had contacted would do. This was his fault for not getting her the latest model in fear that she'd return it.

Ren laughed, "Actually," he said as he looked to her, "I've been trying to find you. I didn't realize that my calls weren't going through."

Kyoko smiled before looking down, her cheeks turning red at what he was saying. He could have come to Daruma-ya to find her since he knew that she both worked there and lived there. However, the fact that he was looking for her at all made her very happy. She looked at him, her body twitching as she tried to hide how happy that comment had made her. She didn't want to draw attention to them in the middle of the city.

"I've been busy so I didn't have a chance to contact you before," he said and Kyoko could tell from his facial expression that he had been debating on whether to come to the restaurant or not. To do so he would have had to make an excuse and Ren was the type of person who didn't want to bring her extra attention, she was thankful to him for that. "Luckily, Sawara-san told me I might see you here today."

Kyoko paled. Sawara-san had told him that? He hadn't told him the job that she was doing, had he? She didn't want for Ren to know that she had taken advantage of her position with Bo in order to talk to him. She didn't want for him to be disillusioned that there really were other people wanting to help him in the world. She looked to him nervously but his expression didn't change, he wasn't looking at her as if she had betrayed him.

"I heard that it is part of Love Me section's work, but you're not wearing that uniform of yours," he commented and Kyoko blinked in surprise. He didn't know about Bo?

"No, today's only by chance. I came straight from school to work, so…" Kyoko attempted to explain.

Ren grinned as he took her in and Kyoko was imagining some type of special feeling directed towards her. "That's good too. I like seeing how you look in your uniform. It makes me happy that you're enjoying the life of a school girl. It's something happy for you, right?" Kyoko was about to answer but Ren's next comment caught her off guard, "This uniform really suits you."

Kyoko bowed her head to hide how red her cheeks got, she didn't know that Yashiro had a shocked look as well. Ren usually wasn't this forward but something about Kyoko was making it so that he was giving her compliments that he hadn't given to any other girl before. This was as if it were only the thirty-seventh chapter of a very long manga and Ren was already admitting to his feelings without Kyoko reciprocating them, but that was only a similarity to something that he had been reading.

Ren turned to Yashiro, "Did you hear that she received full points on her entrance exam," he said and Kyoko turned an even darker shade of red as more blood came to her face.

"Really?" Yashiro asked excitedly, "You, wow, amazing Kyoko," he said excitedly and Ren grinned, happy that Kyoko was being complimented and praised for her hard work. She had really dedicated herself to that test.

"Th—Thank you," Kyoko said shyly, "Actually, it's because they were all basic questions…" Kyoko looked down nervously again, "about this….I think I should be thanking you," she said and Ren smiled. She had already thanked him for being there for her, was she forgetting this fact? "Though you may have said those words unconsciously, they freed me from all those pressures. I must thank you," she said as she dropped down into a bow.

Ren looked at her with a neutral expression. He had actually planned those words because he wanted to encourage her and help her with her beautiful future. He only wanted the best for her. He wanted her heart to be filled with beauty and things that made _her_ happy. She deserved to be happy. Kyoko had even told him before how much those words of his meant to her and the shining light that made the path before her even lighter. He was just glad that he had been able to give that to her.

Yashiro looked between them. As surprised as he was to see Kyoko bowing to Ren and saying these things, as he turned to Ren, he could see that Kyoko meant a lot to him and a lot more than friendship was conveyed in that expression. He had truly fallen for her. He really did care about her and he had always let himself be so guarded. He was smitten with her and it was beyond obvious to Yashiro that this was the case.

"The one who should be saying thank you should be me," Ren told her and Kyoko looked at him in surprised. "This is also why I came to find you today. That day…thanks to you, I managed to get there on time."

Kyoko shook her head, "Your attendance is the proof of a professional actor so, the attendance record, as your manager…I wanted to…" Kyoko started to speak softer and Ren smiled at her.

"I wanted to thank you, though it was too bad you switched with Yashiro-san, while I was working. You were already gone when I realized. That's why today I would like to give you your stamp," he explained and Kyoko stared at him. She happily dug out her book although she felt guilty that she hadn't stayed for him because of how she had to film that day. She wondered how many points he would give to her.

 **End of Act 61**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 60**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD


	63. Act 62 - Ninety Points

**AN:** Changed a few details in this. Hope you enjoy

 **Act 62 – Ninety Points**

Ren gazed down at the book as he used his 100% stamp. He smiled as he looked at it. Maybe it wasn't a lot that he could give her but she had given him something special to hold onto and as much as he didn't want to admit it, seeing her happy was what had become most important to him. He would even sacrifice his own happiness for hers. They had both struggled through so much but he wanted to see her blossom not only as an actress but as a human being as well.

Kyoko smiled, "I didn't think you'd give me high points, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said and Ren looked at her surprised. He cared about her. He wouldn't just subtract points for that reason. He wanted her to be happy. Giving her no points or low points wouldn't lead to happiness but it might lead to a little disappointment.

"Because I still want to get points in order to get revenge," she said and Ren paused, he stared at her, his hand gripping tighter to the book. "I also didn't think I did anything worth thanking for. I mean, anyone can look after you when you were sick, cook, and protect your attendance. That's something that a manager does, it's not something that someone special does so that you support my revenge plot is inspiring."

Yashiro stared at her and coughed, "Eh? Managers don't usually do those kinds of things, especially protect the attendance," he tried to tell her but it was as if Kyoko was ignoring his words. "You are so modest, Kyoko-chan," Yashiro said and Kyoko felt a little flustered.

"What?" she asked surprised and turned between the two of them, "You got it all wrong. Isn't that our job? This would be part of my job in taking care of Tsuruga-san when he's sick or else if Tsuruga-san had to take a day off, then wouldn't it be my fault?" she asked and Yashiro still turned to her surprised. Ren looked away. Had he been that manipulative. He hadn't felt that he was doing wrong by Kyoko and he felt a little unsettled in their friendship.

"That kind of thing, I definitely can't accept. Like I am using it as an excuse," she protested. "I should have learn from Tsuruga-san in order to market myself as the best and leave _him_ in the shadows to lick his wounds. Anyways, I am only doing what is given to me to the best of my abilities. Nothing to do with being modest."

Ren looked between them, somehow he felt that she had ripped his heart out of his chest and was now stomping on it and he couldn't help but feel like he had been reading all of the wrong signals. "Mogami-san," he said and Kyoko quickly turned to him, her eyes widening as he held out his hand with the book in it. "Okay, I'm done," he told her and Kyoko took it excitedly.

She wanted to see his handwriting in the book. She didn't know why but his handwriting was important to her, she would be able to keep it with her. "Thank you," she said happily.

"You're welcome," Ren smiled as he waited for her reaction to what he had done. He knew that he was being petty but she was still working for revenge, he couldn't support her when it came to him. He felt guilty for feeling it but he wanted to be the only one on her mind, for her only to think of him.

Kyoko felt excited. Since they had talked and he had told her his true name, their friendship had been on the mend. He was supportive of her dreams. She finally had Corn back in her life and she didn't want to screw it up. Whatever he gave to her, he had his reasons for doing so.

Kyoko looked to the book before her eyes widened, he had given her a full points mark _and_ a negative ten points mark. "What…is this?" she said slowly and Ren lifted his chin trying to act in a professional manner but Kyoko could tell there was something else behind his words.

"You need to ask?" he said in a steady voice, "Doesn't it clearly say 90 points?"

Kyoko's body twitched. Yes, that was right, it did say 90 points. Was he saying that she could have done better? Why stamp the 100 point stamp if that was the case. She knew that there was always room for improvement but had he changed his mind somehow? "I'm not asking about that, I-It was, you clearly stamped 100 points…" she trailed off, "Why did you deduct afterwards?"

Ren sighed, "Oh, because it was the wrong stamp," he told her and Kyoko wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. As professional as Ren tended to act, he did have that childish side and she hoped that she hadn't said something to hurt or annoy him and that was the reason he had changed his mind. Was it her talking about needing the stamps for her revenge? She shouldn't have said that, she _knew_ how much Ren hated hearing it. "I didn't realize it wasn't the 90 points stamp."

Ren turned to her with his gentleman's smile which usually meant he was trying to hide his anger and Kyoko's eyes widened as she took it all in. "Sorry about that," he grinned and Kyoko shook his head. He had something on his mind that had led him to do this. This wasn't an accident but it didn't seem as if he was ready to talk about it.

"That smile is fake," Kyoko said as Ren started to walk away from her, "I won't fall for that. I bet you suddenly changed your mind."

Ren sighed before walking further away from her. He knew that he was being immature but hearing that Kyoko was still thinking of _him_ and not of himself, it made a competitive bitterness gnaw away at him. "Let's go, Yukihito-san," he said and Kyoko chased after them.

"That's too much," she said, "You're too much. How could you suddenly change your mind? What happened? What went wrong?" she asked and Ren looked ahead of him, not wanting to talk about it but Kyoko still sensed that there was something wrong in his expression. He appeared as if he were hurt but he wouldn't open up to her about it. "Don't you feel that you are acting like a kid, Tsuruga-san?" she accused him.

Ren rolled his eyes knowing full well of his emotions, "You're too suspicious," he told her and Kyoko continued to stare at him. "I have already said that it was the wrong stamp. You have a job right?" he tried to remind her and Kyoko stomped after him, mad at his long legs that his strides made it so that he moved so fast. "You should go there."

"Don't change the topic," Kyoko accused him, "What is your reason to deduct points from me? Did I hurt you? Did I say something wrong just now?" she froze, did she ruin their friendship by saying the wrong thing. She hadn't meant to but Ren had told her not to fall in love with him, that also meant that she had to hide her affection for him as well.

"Because it was the wrong stamp, geez," Ren sighed feeling exhausted by the conversation and Yashiro watched the two of them speechlessly. He didn't know how to interact with either of them, the only thing that he could do at that moment was be a spectator to the conversation.

"You're definitely lying to me!" Kyoko accused him as she tried to read his facial expression and find out if she had created such a deep hurt that it would affect their friendship. She didn't want to end their friendship. She saw Ren continue to walk away from her and stopped. She bowed her head and sighed. He didn't seem to want to tell her and so she could only hope that their friendship was secure. There was nothing else that she could do in that moment.

…

…

Later the next week, Yashiro was with Ren at the airport, for some reason Ren always had a special check in with the same group of people – all working with the president to protect his identity since he legally had to fly using the name Kuon Hizuri – and he never allowed anyone to come up to the counter with him. They would be going on the shoot together but Ren was always so secretive with his check ins and Yashiro wondered if it was because of his secret identity, well Yashiro would never reveal those details to anyone else.

"Did you tell Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked, "That we have to film elsewhere, so we'll be leaving Tokyo for a week or so?" he asked and Ren paused. He hadn't told her the details but he was a little nervous about Yashiro saying this in public since he didn't want anyone to overhear and harm Kyoko.

"Huh? Nope," he replied, "I don't need to tell her this sort of stuff."

Yashiro froze, he had seen that Ren looked at her affectionately, he had seen the strong emotions that Ren had in his heart and he didn't know why Ren was trying to avoid something so obvious instead of making his move. "You two were very friendly to each other last week, right?"

"Yeah," Ren shrugged, "but were always the same, nothing changed," Ren said as he tried to not say that his feelings had definitely deepened for the younger girl.

"No," Yashiro commented, "The most obvious change is the way you look at Kyoko. Your eyes are more gentle now," he told him and Ren paused. If he continued this way then even she would figure out the truth about how special and treasured she was in his heart. That was something that might cancel out all of those sacrifices he had made for years.

"Really?" he asked panicked. Nobody should know that he was starting to feel those affectionate moments for her.

"Yeah," Yashiro nodded, "A soft gaze that'll melt the heart of even the most cold hearted girl," he said and Ren felt a little sweat run down the back of his neck. He didn't want this to enter the media. The main reason he didn't acknowledge Kyoko as his friend in public was because he didn't want for her to be hounded by the press, now it seemed like he was delivering her to them. He had to keep his distance from her so that she didn't find out.

Ren looked at the crowd before him, "Look like we can go," Ren said and Yashiro nodded slowly, "We should get going now or they'll leave without us," he said and Yashiro paused.

"Ren," he said with a steady voice, "There's something else I want to ask."

"All right," Ren said with a natural smile, trying to reflect on the best possibilities for sealing his emotions away, he didn't need to burden or confuse her with them especially since he wouldn't be able to act upon them. "You can ask me later," he nodded.

Ren knew the question. The reason as to why he had given her those negative stamps had been because he felt jealous. He felt jealous of how he was still on her mind when he had done nothing to deserve it. He had made it so that she couldn't concentrate on acting as much as she should be able to. Everyone only had one chance at a precious life and he felt from experience that he knew how painful it was to give up to the bad emotions.

He looked into the distance. If she was continuing to think of revenge as her reason to do certain things then he hoped that they never met again. Kyoko's pain would melt with time and then if they weren't to see each other again, she'll forget about him. That was if they didn't meet again which he was hoping with his whole heart would never happen.

 **End of Act 62**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 61**

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, ,


	64. Act 63 - A Sho Fuwa Job Offer

**Act 63 – A Sho Fuwa Job Offer**

Kyoko stood in front of Sawara-san with her fists by her side and a cold look on her face. Around her the air had turned icy and sharp and her aura seemed to have settled on a heavy black. She felt the negative emotions through her blood but her focus was on the words that Sawara-san had just said.

"Huh?" she asked in surprise, looking a little like a demon, "Sorry. I'm not sure if I heard you correctly. Could you please repeat it again?" she asked her eyes focusing in on him as if she were a hawk with her prey right beneath her. The words that Sawara-san had said. They didn't seem to be true but she was hoping that they were. She was hoping she could play a vengeful part.

"Uh, umm" Sawara mumbled, "What I'm trying to say is someone specifically came to find you and Kotonami-san," he tried to explain, shocked that this was the type of reaction that Kyoko had to the news. He had expected something very different from her.

"Since they saw your commercial, they wanted to try to use you two. It's for their music production," Sawara continued and the words dug into Kyoko's heart.

They were trying to use her. They were trying to use her in the same way that Shotaro had before he cruelly tossed her away with no more respect than if he was throwing away a piece of trash. She wasn't an item that they could use for their enjoyment. She wasn't just some lowly belonging that didn't have human feelings and emotions. She growled again and her eyes went into Sawara's, "Could you please reject it for me?" she asked.

Sawara paused, he was shocked by the way that she was acting. He had expected her to be overjoyed by this and spinning down the hallways and feeling proud that they had chosen her. They could have easily gone with somebody else and yet they had chosen _her_ and she had requested that it be turned down. "Why?" Sawara asked with confusion, "Do you know that's Sho Fuwa's PV. You can see Sho Fuwa in person, aren't you his fan?" he asked trying to get the reaction he thought that she would have, the reaction that she definitely wasn't giving him.

"And," Sawara continued as Kyoko felt the world trying to drag her into hell, "You get the chance to act alongside with the extremely popular, Sho, in his PV. It will definitely help your popularity," he said and Kyoko's eyes held a darkness behind them. Was she ready to sacrifice her own pride in order to get the chance to act more. She had wanted to become an actress and that was what she had told Kuon but this was an unfair trade for fame.

"This is what I don't want to do the most," she said as her demons seemed to get loose and even some glass windows got shattered as she felt the anger and hate burn through her. What had he been suggesting? How could she _allow_ Shotaro to use her as a prop. That was the most insulting thing she had heard for quite some time.

…..

…..

Kyoko yelled as she slammed her locker closed after changing into the summer version of the LME uniform. "He must be joking!" she screamed, glad that nobody else was in the room. "Why do I have to act in that bastard's PV!? I don't want to!" she said as she felt that any good acting she did would only benefit the man she wanted her revenge on. "Even if I really want to become famous, I don't want to be helped by that bastard and I…"Kyoko sighed as she stopped short of finishing that sentence, she looked down trying to take slow breaths.

She wanted to rise to the same position that he was in show business before she interacted with him again so that she could prove herself. Without doing that, even standing before him was going to be difficult. She had only just shot a commercial which was like sticking a toe into a swimming pool. She was going to get into the pool immediately but it was still going to be a long journey. She still had a long distance to go.

As Kyoko heard a click from the door, she turned over to see a stunned Kanae standing there. Kanae appeared to be thinking about something very important and Kyoko had a suspicion that it wasn't just about the music video. Kanae hadn't acted this way about the commercial but then again, she was trying to beat Erika. Maybe she had just hidden her emotions in those moments.

"Moko-san, good morning," she said and Kanae paused. Even when Kanae was angry, Kyoko would greet her in the same way, but Kanae didn't seem angry right now and Kyoko couldn't put her finger on what emotions Kanae had. She seemed distant as if she had stepped into another reality.

"Moko-san," Kyoko continued as she saw Kanae cross the room and sit down at the table, her feet seeming to want to move her to somewhere she could absorb some new information. "Did they tell you about the PV thing?" Kyoko asked curiously, "You know Sho Fuwa's PV. Moko-san what do you plan on doing? You're not thinking about agreeing, are you?"

None of these questions were answered and instead Kanae just stared in front of her at the empty and open space. Kyoko hummed, pausing as she realized the distance that Kanae was still creating between the two of them. Kyoko had hoped that they were becoming closer friends.

Kanae still looked blank as she had her hands in her lap and Kyoko became even more worried. She didn't know if something had happened to Kanae who was often so unemotional. Kyoko tilted her head to the side, trying to make contact with Kanae so that at least she could offer her support. "Moko-san? What's wrong?" she asked and Kanae spoke softly.

"Work," she said, not answering Kyoko but talking to herself, Kyoko blinked confused. Was she really talking about the music video? Was she truly this excited about it when Kyoko wasn't? "Got a job," Kanae continued, "a drama."

Kyoko looked at her in shock. Kanae had been offered a part in a drama already? Well, Kyoko knew her talent, she knew how hard Kanae worked but to think that she was already offered such a part. Kyoko felt her cheeks get red as she felt excitement for her friend who had finally had her talents realized.

"Really!?" Kyoko asked, "It is true, Moko-san!? That's amazing! You're walking towards the road of being an actress already!"

Kanae turned to her. Kyoko might be overreacting about this but Kanae still felt that she had a point. It wasn't something that she necessarily agreed with though.

"No," Kanae attempted to correct her before she got carried away, "It's not a big role and it's only a short two-hour drama. I heard that after they saw the Kyurara commercial, they thought I'd fit the role well," Kanae attempted to explain and Kyoko grew even more excited. However, the next words that Kanae told her shocked her.

"The actress that was supposed to play the role was changed to me."

Kyoko stopped short. They had really done that, they really changed the actresses in these things. As much as she supported Moko, that seemed unfair to the original actress. It reminded her of the acting test that she had had against Ruriko. So those things happened with more than Ruriko, they actually happened to others as well. Kyoko skipped a breath before looking at Kanae in worry, "So cruel," she said, "So things like that do happen in showbiz. Wow."

Kanae turned to her, she shook her head seeing the way that Kyoko was concerned about the other actress. Kanae didn't want to be cold and cruel but acting was like a war zone, you ate or were eaten and she wanted to prove her own talent. The other girl might have experienced an unfortunate situation but it made Kanae stronger.

"I heard that the actress who got fired was a newbie," she tried to explain and Kyoko nodded knowing that it wasn't someone like Ruriko who had newspapers and media talking about her as the next big thing. That role would have been much harder to replace especially by Kyoko. "Must be because her agency is not a big company, according to the main office."

Kyoko paused as she felt a sense of calm wash over her. When she had been rejected by LME at the audition stage, she had considered going to another agency but at that time, her desire was to take revenge on Shotaro and not to act. Her motives had definitely changed since that time but if people from smaller companies could get replaced without proper consideration then she was really glad that she hadn't compromised and had become part of LME. LME had huge influence in the acting world and Ren Tsuruga represented that. It also brought her closer to Kuon and that made her very happy.

"I don't think taking away someone else's role is a bad thing," Kanae suddenly commented as Kyoko was brought out of her own thoughts and stared at her friend. Kanae didn't seem to be considering the toughness of the industry on the first actress, instead she seemed to be reacting to her own good fortune. "Because, I really want to act," she said and Kyoko was drawn by her passion and her happiness. It might have been tough on the other girl but this was a chance that Kanae had been waiting for for years.

"I want to be someone who's acting all day. Who only needs acting as a career. That's why I won't be emotional because I use other people as my stepping stones," she said and Kyoko thought about those words. She would usually feel guilty and want to apologize to the other person unless it was someone like Ruriko who – for the briefest of moments – deserved to be replaced by her.

Kyoko thought about Shotaro. He had used her as a stepping stone. He had tried to further his own career in Tokyo by taking advantage of her but maybe this music video was a way for her to use him. She didn't have to be the object if she took control of her own destiny.

"That's why I rejected Sho's PV," Kanae explained, "because that drama is starting to film next week. So I want to concentrate on acting," she told her and Kyoko stood up with a determined expression on her face which had replaced the anger she had had before.

"This job," Kyoko asked, "Do we both have to accept the role?" she asked and Kanae turned to her.

"What do you plan to do?" she asked and Kyoko smiled. She was figuring this all out now but she had a plan that she could use. Oh, she most definitely had a plan that she could take advantage of.

Kyoko wanted to use him and that was made clear as she passionately looked upwards and yelled out, "Accept! No matter what, I have to accept this job!" she exclaimed and Kanae sighed. In Kanae's mind, of course Kyoko would be acting like this. She was the annoying type of fangirl. She would die before not being able to work with him. It was kind of annoying actually.

 **End of Act 63**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 62**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD


	65. Act 64 - Oh, No! I'm Late?

**Act 64 – Oh, No! I'm Late?**

At 12:30 Kyoko stood in a fighting position in front of her mirror. She would have to go into full battle mode in order to deal with Shotaro today. She could do it though. She would have to make sure he didn't know who she was but she could use him for a stepping stone. His precious PV would be the next day and he would regret that he ever let her on that stage. She would steal from him something most precious, his fame and attention, there was nothing he held more dear.

If she wanted to make an impression, the Love Me uniform would be the best thing to wear. It was something that you couldn't easily look away from. The hot pink color made it so that you lost sense of yourself until you were surrounded by hot pink everywhere. More than that, the color made anyone within a short range feel that they were losing in popularity. It might bring down his image were someone to see them together.

If she had been the old version of Kyoko then she would have thought that a school uniform would be more appropriate but this was a battle and this was her battle armor provided for her by the better agency, the LME agency. She would take this chance and win. She would be able to be just as manipulative as Shotaro in order to get her goal. She had to think about her tactical advantages if she was going to win this battle, if she was going to win this war.

Even if he laughed at her, she would continue to wear it and show him that even taunts and chuckles weren't enough to make her back down. This was a cursed uniform that would place a curse on his video as well. He wouldn't dare to call her an uncharismatic, ordinary girl wearing this. He wouldn't even be able to try it. She was going to win. This was just the first victory in a long line of them that she would grab onto.

…

…..

As Kyoko entered Queen Records, she could see everyone look at her stunned including the girls at the front desk. She was already aware that this was the kind of reaction that she would get and she couldn't blame them for it. If she had seen someone wearing these types of clothes then her reaction would be the same. Still, she knew she was winning even this early on.

"Good morning," Kyoko said with her face showing her cold evil demon-nature, there appeared to be fire and flames around her and she would have been granted the lead in a horror movie without an audition necessary by her appearance alone. "I'm here from LME. I came to film a PV with Fuwa. My name is Kyoko," she said and the girls looked at her stunned. "Is Miruki-san there?" she said with a cold and calculated smile.

The girls looked between themselves and nodded slowly. One of them got up and led Kyoko to another room but on her face it looked as if she was scared of being eaten up and dragged down into hell. She had never seen anyone appear as terrifying as Kyoko did.

…

…

Kyoko banged her fist on the table angrily as she sat inside of the waiting room. The girl had led her down here over an hour ago and they were supposed to have met half an hour ago. Kyoko knew that she wasn't the most powerful or the most popular person in showbusiness but common courtesy usually existed anywhere. She was now being left for such a long time.

"How long are they going to make me wait!? She said as she looked around the room, her anger rising. She hadn't wanted to do this in the first place and then it had seemed like a good idea and a way of using manipulation to haunt Shotaro. Now it was as if they were making fun of her. "We arranged to meet at 10:30 so I came at 10 o'clock,' she said as she saw that it was 11:00.

Somehow it was Shotaro's fault, he had done this to make fun of her or maybe he just couldn't be bothered to arrive on time. No. He must have overslept, even when he was a child she had been tasked with waking him up so that he could get to school on time. She had once felt fulfilled by that task but now it just seemed ridiculous to her. She shouldn't have to do something so demeaning.

"What is his manager doing!?" Kyoko raged as she could imagine the scene in her head of how he had cast her off, making her nothing more than a joke and destroying her life. Shoko, that was her name, right? So close to Sho. Well, she was lousy as well if she couldn't get him out of bed. She should have dragged him to the room.

Kyoko felt her rage increase, the fire burning within her, "I can't take it anymore!" she declared, "I must find someone in charge so I can vent out my anger on someone!" she announced as she heard her stomps towards the door and then she paused. Someone was turning the knob. It was a good thing that the room was soundproof or else her plan might have been revealed.

Her eyes widened and she felt her body freeze as Shotaro stood before her. She wasn't in a stupid bird costume this time, she was herself – well, her new self and suddenly she realized that she didn't want for him to know that she was the same person. She had to come up with some way of disguising her behavior so that he wouldn't catch on, he wasn't smart enough to catch on anyway.

He looked down on her as if he were extremely superior to her and Kyoko wondered if he could already see through her. He didn't pay her any attention in the past, why would he bother to pay her attention now. She looked at him stunned as the possibilities of how to act in this situation ran through her head, one option following another.

The demons floated around her as she stood there but they were holding back, she could pretend that her rage wasn't there. She needed to be crafty and not try to tear his head off. She couldn't invest in her anger. She couldn't risk him learning the truth and she had to do something now whilst she could still take him by surprise.

She smiled in a 'cute' way, acting like many of the over-the-top shojo anime characters would. She had always been praised for her intelligence by Sho's mother, she would act like an airhead here. She wouldn't show her anger, she would overwhelm him with a positive attitude. She would become the opposite of the Kyoko she felt like on the inside.

"Oh you," she laughed as she slapped him playfully, "How annoying," she said in a girlish squeal, "How annoying! I can't believe that you're standing right outside my door! That gave me a shock," she told him as she laughed playfully. Sho took a couple of steps back and away from her as she acted in this unexpected manner. "I've always wanted to work in this profession. I'm really nervous but I will work hard and won't be left in the dust by you!" she said with a determined smile on her face and Sho blinked. This wasn't what he had thought that he would find, not in this room anyway, not by her.

Kyoko held out a hand and Sho stared at it in shock, not sure how to interpret this motion. "Pleased to meet you," Kyoko smiled and noticed how hesitant Sho was. So he was on guard already, she hadn't been able to trick him yet. She paused as she lowered her back to him and he watched her. Kyoko could tell that he was trying to read her and he didn't think that what she was offering was anywhere near as simple as a quick shake of the hands.

"Huh?" Kyoko asked as she looked at him confused, "What's wrong? Could it be that you don't like to shake hands?" she pouted before tilting her head to the side, "Are you a clean freak?" she asked him and Sho stared at her as if she was an alien who had just disembarked on the planet.

"No…" he said as if worried that she would snag him into a trap like an animal that she was hunting, "That's not it."

"Then shake hands with me!" Kyoko almost demanded using an airheaded expression and pout to try to make her character seem more realistic. "Hand," she said as she stood up straight and Sho slowly gave her his hand. He was acting as if this was a trick but nothing ominous happened when their hands touched. There was no dark magic at play here and that made Sho even more worried.

"Oh," Kyoko laughed as she shook Sho's hand with great passion, "Let me introduce myself," she said as she closed her eyes, her heart seeming to break as she did so, she felt disgusted on the inside and she didn't want to show that on the outside as well otherwise her plan wouldn't work. "My name is Kyoko. Pleased to meet you,."

Sho stared at her and Kyoko could notice a few sweat drops running down his forehead as he watched her without being sure of who she was. Kyoko realized that he had originally thought that she would be waiting behind the doors but now he thought that she was somebody else. Her plan was working. If he thought that she was somebody else then her sneak attacks would work much better. She laughed as she half listened to what Shotaro was telling her.

"Eh!? So the attendant took me to the wrong room?" she asked, "You mean, I'm the only one who's late?" she asked and internally panicked but then had to get a grip on herself. This wasn't about her being considered a good actress, this job she had taken to get revenge not to further her own career. She wanted for him to feel humiliated today on this day and on this set. She had to keep up the charade.

"Yeah," Sho said in a mumble, "We've waited over thirty minutes too," he said and raised an eyebrow as he waited for her reaction.

"Really!?" Kyoko gasped, "How frustrating," she laughed though, "Although I came at ten o'clock, not too late…"

Sho stared at her and then saw her face turn a bright red as her eyes widened and started to sparkle as if she had been indoctrinated into the cult of sparkle magic girls. "And so you came to find me?" she asked and Sho coughed.

"Umm, I guess you could say that," he replied. Kyoko laughed happily and then shoved him, pushing him onto the floor before rushing off as if she had just eaten a handful of Pixie sticks.

"Liar! I'm so happy!" she grinned before dashing down the hallway and looking for which way to go. She knew she had successfully confused him. Because she had acted like his fangirls he didn't know who she was. She could get her revenge much easier if he didn't know who she was.

 **End of Act 64**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 63**

H-Nala, Kris XD


	66. Act 65 - Haruki Asami

**AN:** So, after something that happened in the past, I find it very rude to make fun of someone for their reviews on a particular story but I woke up this morning and just laughed at this anon review for _this_ fic. Someone was saying how I was "destroying" the characters by having them all "hate Kyoko when they meet her". Sure, other fics, yeah I bash on Kyoko but this one I'm just literally following the manga. Any bashing is your own, so check yourself in the mirror because when I read your review I had to share how ludicrous you sounded. Anyway, thank you to all the _other_ reviewers who are actually, you know, psychologically balanced. (this was a hateful guest review, otherwise I would be saying this through PM)

 **Act 65 – Haruki Asami**

Kyoko continued to glare behind her at Shotaro and she rubbed her mouth. The words that had just come out of it were disgusting and had left a sour taste that would be hard to wash out. She had said those things and shaken his hand so happily as part of her revenge but it still felt dirty. Worst of all was the fact that she had initiated the handshake. She was so foolish.

Hopefully she could just finish this job and leave so that she would never have to do anything so rash and sickening ever again. Kyoko needed to hold on until the last minute of filming and she really hoped that she had the strength to do so.

As they approached at the set, a tall woman with glasses and a shirt that emphasized her breasts stepped forward, "I found you!" she said as she looked between the two of them who had just arrived. "Sho, you're so slow," she teased him with a soft laugh and Kyoko looked between the two of them.

"Oh, Asami-san," Sho said and Kyoko paused. She had always thought that Asami was a man but this was no man. She had been so incredibly wrong in the judgements that she had made when she had thought herself Shotaro's girlfriend. She should have seen the red flags but she had been blind to the world that was before her.

"You were gone for so long, so I came to check on you and see what you were doing," Asami said and Kyoko could sense some kindness in her voice. It made her pissed to know that people were blinded by this idiot and willing to act kind to him whilst being honest and truthful. He didn't deserve that kind of attention.

Asami-san then turned her attention to Kyoko, "Ah, my apologies, you must be Kyoko right?" she asked and Kyoko paused, her back straightening. Even though Kyoko was trying to invest her energy into her acting, the way that Asami was treating her was making Kyoko feel that she really didn't mean any harm and truly was a warm and affectionate person who cared about her job. "The attendant made a mistake, so you must've been waiting for a long time."

Kyoko paused and smiled, shaking her head, "No, it's fine," she said quickly and Asami sighed.

"I am the director of the upcoming video," she told her and Kyoko finally got a look at her figure. Yes, she most definitely was not a man, nothing about her had been masculine as she had been in Kyoko's mind whenever Shotaro had mentioned her name. "Pleased to meet you."

Kyoko paused, trying not to show the surprise that she had felt before when she had first seen her. Asami-san looked at her confused before smiling as if everything was all right. "Sorry," Kyoko apologized as she coughed a little bit, "I thought that the name sounded like a guy's name so…"

"A lot of people get that mixed up," Asami-san laughed with a smile.

Kyoko paused. Since Asami had been a major part of her plan and learning how to maneuver around them, Kyoko had been able to research all about her. Kyoko had researched her, watched all of her videos and dramas, and even memorized all the names of her staff. She had every piece of information that might come to some use in her head but this was the first time they had met in person. None of the research had told Kyoko had she was a woman and so because of her name, she had kept believing that this woman was a man. Her tactical plan had been taking in that she was a man into consideration.

As Kyoko seemed to stare at Asami-san some more she noticed some definite details that would have proved instantly that she wasn't a man. She had a shocking F-cup, the type of breast size that Shotaro had always been interested in. She had long, slender legs that she was showing off proudly by wearing a shorter skirt. Her body was completely different to Kyoko's and she was starting to understand Shotaro's fondness towards her.

So, he was working with that kind of a person. He was keeping this a secret from her but Kyoko felt annoyed. If she had known that this was the type of person that Sho had been working with, she would have been able to see that – before anything happened – he never saw her in a romantic or desirable light at all.

"Sorry for worrying you," Sho said, using the type of smile that would fool many women and Kyoko was very glad that she wasn't included in that number. "Since that thing is here," he said dismissively, treating Kyoko like an object or something disgusting and Asami was not defending her but instead siding with Shotaro's foolishness. "Let's go back to work." He touched her waist in front of Kyoko and Asami let it happen as if it were a normal occurrence. Knowing him it most likely was.

Asami turned to Sho with a weak smile and another weak laugh as Kyoko managed to hear what they were saying to one another. "You're not going to stay with that girl?" Asami-san said in surprise, "You're the one who wanted to come find her. I thought you were interested in her."

Sho sighed and closed his eyes dismissively, "Ah, never mind that," he told her and Kyoko stood still as she watched the two of them. Sho was acting like a playboy and Kyoko felt sickened that she had been caught under his spell. She felt like she had been an idiot in the past. Kyoko felt a little sickened as Sho leaned down and kissed the director on the cheek. She couldn't believe in how indecently he was acting.

"Don't do that in the office," Asami said and Shotaro just laughed. He was a disgusting creep. What made him into someone like that. Who did that!? How had she been so blind to this behavior.

Kyoko could feel her head spinning as she went to sit down on a chair. Not only was Sho acting so vulgar but wasn't he having a relationship with his manager, wasn't he staying with his manager. How could she be comfortable with him acting like this with another woman. How could anyone be comfortable around him.

Kyoko sighed, she didn't understand him any longer. He no longer seemed like the sweet and innocent Sho that she had imagined in her head, carrying around those feelings as if he were a prince. She had been so stupid. She hadn't seen how much of a playboy he had been, that he was. Now that she saw how intimate he was with the director, she felt that she should have read the signs sooner that all he saw her as was a maid. She had been living in her own dreamland for so long. She had been a no-name servant to him and for that, his punishment should be death.

Kyoko glared at him, feeling the dark aura surrounding her. Not only had he never kissed her on the forehead, he had never put his arm around her and he just did it so casually with this other woman. He hadn't seen any interest in her at all other than to manipulate her. He was a creep. He deserved to be choked to death and his life to end today. She had no other feelings about the matter.

"Okay, time to get to work," Sho stretched and Kyoko continued to channel her demons in his direction. Sho froze, feeling the cold atmosphere and turned. As he turned, Kyoko managed to reign in the demons and gave bubbly expression on her face so that all Shotaro would be able to see was a world of flowers and unicorns around her. He wouldn't expect her to harbor the emotions that she had.

She had to calm down so that she didn't ruin her own plan no matter how much she was wishing for his destruction. As they made their way to the main room, Kyoko kept mumbling to herself. She paused as she reached the open doorway and heard a voice that made her flinch with its familiarity. This was another part of her plan that she hadn't been expecting.

"Sho-chan!" a girl squealed as she rushed towards him, "You finally came back!" she said and Kyoko felt of how she had once said those words so joyously, she had been a complete idiot to trust him so much.

Mimori came running over to them with a pretty outfit on, she looked like she was out of breath as she ran up to Shotaro. "You took so long!" she said with a tired expression that also showed the hope that she would get noticed by Shotaro. "I was so bored by myself!" she told him and Kyoko's jaw dropped. Her presence her definitely could cause a lot of difficulty when it came to her plan.

Mimori turned to her and blinked, "Hm?" she asked. She had always mocked Kyoko for not having any jobs to do, of course she would be surprised that they both had a part together. Kyoko knew that they would need someone to do the part that Kanae was originally asked about but she had never expected it to be _this_ person.

"What's wrong Pocchi?" Sho asked as Kyoko felt that she was dying inside. She had wide eyes as she stared at her as if she were looking at a monster in a B-rated movie.

Mimori pointed at her that made Kyoko scream, concerning everyone around them. Kyoko reached out excitedly and grabbed Mimori with so much force that it scared the younger girl. "Oh my god! Mimori! It's Mimori!" she said excitedly and Mimori took a couple of steps back. "Hi! My name is Kyoko!" she told her and Mimori stared at her with wide eyes.

"What are you doing? You're Moga-" she began but Kyoko screamed in such a way that it made Mimori scream too. She didn't know what was happening here but she did know that it was scary. She hadn't expected this.

Kyoko pulled her away, "I can't believe you know who I am! I'm so honored!" Kyoko exclaimed hoping that somehow Mimori wouldn't expose her if she acted so rashly and energetically. "Yes, that's right! I'm in Kyurara, the new girl in the ad! Pleased to meet you!" she said and Sho continued to stare at the two of them in shock.

Kyoko felt Shotaro's eyes focused on her and she kept the fainted Mimori close to her so that it would look just like a fan's embrace and that nobody would ask questions. It was just like Kyoko to be so lucky with MImori on the shoot. She had all the possibility to expose her and this situation would only work if everything was kept top secret. Kyoko had to figure out how to deal with this threat before it was too late.

 **End of Act 65**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers for Act 64**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD


	67. Act 66 - Loving Angel

**Act 66 – Loving Angel**

Haruki laughed happily as she saw the 'bond' between Kyoko and Mimori. Kyoko couldn't blame her, it was always easier when two costars weren't such enemies but it definitely seemed like the cards were dealt against her.

"Looks like I don't need to do the introductions," Haruki chuckled as she turned to the two girls, "Kyoko-san, this person works in the same area as Sho, her name is Mimori." Kyoko paused. That made sense that Mimori would be protective of Shotaro and how much she and Shotaro would get along. She was in the same agency as him and Kyoko felt that she had fallen through a trap door or was on a game show. "Today she will be joining you, Kyoko in appearing in Sho's PV."

Mimori felt groggy as she raised her head and Kyoko felt a cold chill run through her body. No. Mimori was…she was going to reveal her. She would be there for as long as Kyoko was and that meant that he would find out if she wasn't crafty.

Mimori suddenly and violently pushed Kyoko so that she flew backwards. Kyoko seemed surprised but this wasn't the first time that somebody had shoved her and said that it was for Sho's honor. She gasped and stared at the girl who was acting like a spoiled pri—witch. It was very annoying. "Why…why did you push me?" she asked and Mimori clutched onto Sho's arm as if an accessory.

"I have to play the role of the angel that Sho is in love with!" Mimori pouted, her cheeks had turned a deep red and Sho stood there uncomfortably. Kyoko paused as she stared at her. What was she talking about? Was she actually challenging Kyoko with Shotaro's love as a prize. Kyoko felt extremely sorry for her. "I definitely won't give that chance to you."

Kyoko paused. She was talking about angels and Sho and that she and Sho were some kind of a couple. It all seemed so complicated and confusing to Kyoko.

"She's referring to the plot of the PV," Haruki jumped in and Kyoko listened, "It's a fantasy story. There is a cold and cruel demon and two kind angels. One of the angels and the demon fall in love. It is love at first sight. They know the difference in their standings and they know they can never be together but they can't control their feelings. It's a beautiful love story."

Haruki smiled as she thought about it but Kyoko's stomach flipped over. This definitely sounded disgusting to her. She felt the vomit entering her mouth but was able to stop it so she didn't draw attraction to it. What made it even worse was the fact that Mimori was in a daze, obviously fantasizing about Shotaro as Kyoko had been all those months ago. All that time wasted before she had learned the truth.

"But," Haruki continued, "this love came to an end very quickly. The other angel finds out about their love and believing that her friend's life is in danger, she kills the demon."

Kyoko rose her hand up wanting to make sure that she got the part that she wanted. She wanted to destroy Sho and so aligning the characters feelings with her own would help when she came to act out that part. That was what she had learned during the acting training. She could learn it now. She looked at them with such intensity in her eyes that Haruki laughed very weakly.

"Yes, Kyoko?" Haruki asked and Mimori looked at her with confused eyes as she held onto Sho.

"I…I want to play that role!" Kyoko announced with such determination it would take someone with a lot of confidence to say no to her. Both Haruki and Mimori looked to her surprised. Mimori showed a little tension as if Kyoko could tell her that she wanted to be the love interest.

"Y-You," Haruki said slowly, "Which role do you want to play?"

"I want to be the angel that kills the demon," she said and everyone looked between themselves confused by what she was saying. That type of role wasn't highly sought after. It would be one that might attract some controversy and people weren't supposed to see themselves as that type of angel. They weren't meant to identify with that girl.

"Really?" Haruki asked completely stunned by Kyoko's choice, "That's the role of the antagonist though," she said and Kyoko shook her head, a smile on her face.

"No! I want to do it! Please can you make sure I play the part, I…." Kyoko moved forward and took hold of Haruki's hand looking at her with an intense stare as the others just watched her, not sure what to do in this type of situation. "No matter what time of day it is, whether I'm eating, working, or sleeping. I'v'e always had dreams of killing the demon."

Haruki laughed weakly as Kyoko could feel her dark energy bringing a chill to the area around them. "Re-really," Haruki said weakly, "You are quite different."

…..

…

Kyoko was passing the room that Sho and Mimori were in as she got back from the restrooms. She was going to enter the room before she heard Mimori's voice. "I heard that in that ad she was in, there was another girl from a different company who wanted that role. It seems that they had some sort of a competition and she won."

Kyoko sighed, this was definitely Erika and Kyoko wondered how many people knew about the audition if Mimori was telling Shotaro about it. Kyoko felt that she had worked hard and earned that role for herself. Erika had even tried to steal the routine that she had come up with and she had still defeated her. After that Kyoko had even worked harder and trained harder. This was her next big moment and she wanted to do the best with her acting abilities to prove her worth.

"Do you really think it could've gone that smoothly?" Mimori asked before laughing slightly, "I bet you anything that she used her company's power to get that role for herself." Mimori said and Sho paused, Kyoko could hear his exhausted sighing.

"Oh, yeah. Now that you mention it, she's from LME. Shoko told me," Sho said with a sigh and Mimori nodded with conviction.

"Exactly," she said with a firm nod and Sho sighed. Mimori growled before she seemed to be fuming whilst looking right in front of her. "LME!" she exclaimed and Kyoko felt her back straighten. Yes, LME was the best but nobody there had been excessively cruel to her, none of the office workers anyway. The president was kind to her despite his weird tasks and she had met amazing people and most of all Corn, Corn was there.

"I heard that that company only looked at Ren's face and how attractive he was before they accepted him," she said and Kyoko froze. She recognized those words and she felt terrible about how she had badmouthed Corn when she had been together with Sho. If she had known the truth then she would have never done it. No. She should have never done it even without knowing the truth about Corn's identity.

"You are so much better than he is! I don't understand why every single girl on Earth gets fooled by his pretty face," Mimori continued and Kyoko sank down to the ground as she thought about her own words and who her own words had been about. Kuon. Corn. Ren. He had his faults, he had some serious faults, but he was a good guy. She hated anyone saying anything cruel and cold about him but even worse than that, she hated that at some point _she_ had said those things about him.

"Whenever I remember that she's from the same company as Ren Tsuruga, I get annoyed," Mimori pouted and Kyoko paused. So this was why Mimori disliked her so much? Was it just because she belonged to a more superior acting agency? She wasn't really a part of the agency anyway, just the Love Me section. "So, I'm sabotaging her at school," Mimori announced and Kyoko paused.

"School?" Sho asked and Kyoko felt a shock through her body, her identity was at risk of being exposed. "So, the two of you go to the same school?" Sho asked with surprise and Kyoko felt her body getting into action. This had to be stopped. She couldn't be exposed. Not yet. Not here.

"Yeah," Mimori sighed, "I heard she couldn't get into a high school last year so she should've been one year ahead of me, but I heard her grades were very good all throughout school. She doesn't seem like the type of person who isn't able to get into high school." Mimori mused and Kyoko felt the dread as she felt that even a bonehead like Shotaro would figure out what happened. Kyoko saw Sho look at her, his brain slowly trying to place the pieces.

"I wonder what the real reason is," Mimori thought aloud.

"Pocchi," Sho said as he used the intensity in his eyes to captivate Mimori and bring her closer to him. He saw the obedient look on her face and the excitement in her eyes.

"Yes, Sho-chan?" Mimori asked energetically and Sho smiled.

"That girl," he said wanting to uncover the plot that Kyoko was crafting around the video shoot, "What's her name?"

Mimori felt herself getting annoyed at that question. He was finally talking to her about something and it was about another girl. She wanted to be his one and only and she definitely didn't want somebody like _her_ coming to steal Sho away from her. She wanted to get closer to him. She didn't want someone else to get close to him.

"It's Kyoko," Mimori said, the jealousy could be heard in her voice.

"And her real last name?" Sho inquired and Mimori panicked.

"Why do you want to know!?" she asked with tears in her eyes as she attempted to hit him and Sho managed to block each of her attempts. "Don't go caring about that kind of person," she said and Sho continued to watch her, seemingly unaffected by her tears.

"If you tell me I'll kiss you," he told her and Mimori smiled.

"On the lips?" she asked with her eyes sparkling and Sho nodded. Mimori smiled happily getting very excited over the idea of being kissed. "Then I'll tell you her last name is Moga-" Mimori paused and started screaming as she saw Kyoko and her dark energy behind Sho telling her that she would be cursed if she revealed that type of information.

"What's wrong Pocchi?" Sho asked as Mimori started gasping for air, tears welling up in her eyes. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked and Mimori still looked behind him in fear. There was a dark demon there, someone who would curse her for eternity. She would never be able to sleep after seeing the dark face that looked like a demon from her. She could even hear the voice of the demon warning her that she'd get cursed if she dared to say anything.

"Shoooo-chaan" Mimori squealed as he turned to see that Kyoko was just standing there looking like a bubbly airhead.

"Aww, she's hugging you. How romantic!" Kyoko commented and Sho stared at her with wide eyes not understanding what had been happening or why Mimori was so upset. "We'll be done with the filming in one day." Kyoko told them before scoffing at them, "You guys made a very good couple. It makes me envious," she said. Kyoko was happy to see Sho sweat as he understood her challenge.

 **End of Act 66**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 65**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD


	68. Act 67 - Sweet Tamagoyaki

**AN:** No offense meant to anyone but I hate modern day Kyoko. I love her during Dark Moon act and Heel siblings act but I hate her. Sorry, had to get that off my chest. It won't affect how I write my fics (other than Our Twins, lol)

 **Act 67 – Sweet Tamagoyaki**

Kyoko looked at the food in front of her and smiled, she loved the Taisho's food and she really had enjoyed when she had been cooking for Kuon on a regular basic but the food that they were providing her with now smelled and looked delicious. The assistant put some tea in front of her and Kyoko smiled, "Thank you," she said happily and Haruki sighed.

"Sorry that we were only able to provide lunch boxes," she apologized with a weak smile. "We had originally reserved seats at a restaurant but due to the changes in the schedule." Kyoko froze. She knew that she shouldn't react to that but it was her who had slowed everything down. She didn't want to say how good the bento looked and draw extra attention to herself but she needed to pretend to be comfortable with the development so as not to draw attention to hersef.

"We have to start filming right away after this, sorry about the inconvenience," Haruki continued to apologize.

Kyoko picked up a package and turned it in her hands. A towelette? She smiled, it was very considerate of them to provide this even just for bento boxes, she could wipe her hands before she ate and try to be as respectful as possible despite the way that she was pretending to act. She paused as she heard Sho and Mimori talking and looked up at them.

Mimori was blushing and was holding a wrapped bento to Shotaro, she had made him something? Kyoko couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic about that fact. In the past she would have woken up early just to present him with a bento. She had done it with a smile on her face at the time, hoping that she could one day see Sho's face at knowing she had poured her heart into making something for him. It appeared that Mimori was feeling the same way.

Sho groaned, "Really," he said as if he didn't care that she had done something special for him, "It's all because you said you'd make me a bento that the staff didn't buy me a lunch box," he complained and Kyoko felt surprised at his rudeness. She would have felt incredibly hurt had he said something like that to her. Of course, Mimori had more time than she had had in the past but still, it was a sacrifice of her time that he was carelessly dismissing.

"Eh, don't be like that," Mimori replied, "I spent my whole morning making this."

Kyoko felt nauseous as she remembered the sad past when she would have gladly done something like this. She had memorized all of Shotaro's likes and dislikes since he was a child and she would make what he enjoyed most. She was such a fool. He most likely trashed whatever she made anyway. The only thing he would eat was leftovers from Daruma-ya and most likely because he didn't want to go out to the store.

"Sho-chan," Shoko said with worry as she turned to her client, "Mimori worked really hard to make it. You should eat it," she told him and Mimori's manager said a quick apology for the situation. Even though Kyoko didn't really like Mimori, she felt compassion for her. Shotaro was being too rude. This girl had worked hard in order to create something for the guy she likes and though Kyoko hated the idea of doing that herself, she didn't want others to fall into her dark hole of rejecting love.

"I know," Sho sighed and Mimori's face showed even more happiness. How could she let this jerk affect her so much?

"Waaah!" Mimori said with a great deal of excitement, "Really?" she said as she held the bento in front of her. Kyoko felt sorry for her, wasn't she picking up on Shotaro's vibes or his dismissive attitude. "Please eat a lot!"

Mimori sat down and teasingly held up some rice with her chopsticks, holding it to Sho's mouth as he looked incredibly pissed off. Even if she disliked Mimori, Kyoko couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She was completely blinded by love and love for someone who didn't deserve even _her_ time. "Here! Open your mouth!" she laughed and Sho glared at her.

"Stop that," he told her extremely pissed off and that was making Kyoko feel pissed off too. Kyoko put her hands together deciding to just concentrate on her own meal. Just a few moments ago she had noted to herself that it smelled really good and looked really good. She didn't want to be reminded of her sick and twisted past and that was what watching those two was doing to her.

Kyoko opened her eyes just as Shotaro took a bite of the tamagoyaki in the box. His eyes widened in disgust as he tasted it and Kyoko felt her heart pounding. He had to work through this, he knew that, right? He was a popular guy so he should know how to interact with his fans and coworkers. He wouldn't do something insulting like tell her that he disliked it. That might crush her.

It was most likely a sweet dish, Sho had hated the sweet tamagoyaki since he was a small child. She knew this but many others didn't. She wasn't sure what he was going to do but he had to at least have some type of class. He had to have some very very small goodness in his heart.

Sho looked side to side between Mimori and Shoko who were both eating and not paying attention to him. Kyoko watched as his attention drew to a trash can. He wasn't going to just toss the entire thing away, right? Mimori had truly put her heart into creating this for him. He wasn't _that_ insensitive, was he? Kyoko was horrified by his insensitivity. He wasn't even willing to try for her? His ego was bigger than even Kyoko had expected and that was saying something.

Kyoko hated to see this type of disrespect, especially when she was facing the nostalgia of her own past. She grabbed hold of a salt packet and sild it over to him, staring at him with a judgmental glance. He wouldn't dare to upset her, would he? He had to think clearly and he obviously wasn't.

Sho looked up at her in shock, had she just given away her position? Had she just shown her entire hand of cards.

"Oh, yeah," Mimori smiled helpless to the situation, "Is there any type of food that you don't like?" she asked and Shoko chuckled and shook her head, turning to Mimori with kindness.

"Mimori-chan, Sho-chan's motto is "no food can bring me down"" she told her and Kyoko continued that judgmental glance, she knew him better than both of these women. "I've never seen Sho-chan be picky about food."

Mimori squealed, her cheeks turning red again. "Wow! So cool!" she exclaimed and Kyoko could see how excited she was. This lunch definitely wasn't turning out to be so good. Sure, the food was good but Kyoko wasn't too fond of the company. She chewed her food, trying to ignore Mimori who had thrown her arms around Sho. "Sho-chan is so cool!" she said happily and Sho took another look at the salt packet. "So stylish!" Mimori complimented him.

Kyoko wanted to tune out this entire conversation. It wasn't worth it to pay attention to it and it reminded her of things that she'd have preferred to forget. No. It wasn't worth her time or consideration.

…

…

Kyoko felt the pain through her body. This was bad. There was a huge possibility that she had just told him who she was, that she had exposed herself to him. Shoko had said that he didn't have preferences when it came to food and she had just given him a salt packet because she knew the exact opposite to that statement. She had just seen herself in Mimori's place and acted without reserve.

The Akitoki agency had created image of Sho Fuwa as someone who has nothing that he wouldn't eat and he would have exposed himself by throwing that in the trash. If word had spread that he had tossed an actresses' homemade bento in the trash he would have lost all popularity on his own but she had had to act kindly to her. She should have just left it.

She had shown her true colors, her private knowledge to her enemy and it was because of how he had scarred her in the past. She sighed, she should have just left it alone. What if he knew her plan at this time.

Kyoko sighed, she would have to go over to the make up artist soon. Makeup. That word brought such joy to her, maybe it was what she needed to get over the pain of the day.

…..

…..

Kyoko sighed dreamily as she sat just a foot away from Mimori's chair. Both the makeup artist and Mimori stared at her, feeling worried about how she was just _there_ and she was sighing as if she had just been given a kiss by the boy that she was in love with.

"Wha—What is it?" Mimori asked annoyed and a little creeped out. "Why are you staring at me!?"

Kyoko laughed, she watched her and had a sense of dreaminess in her eyes. "Eh, I was just thinking about how pretty you look," she commented as she laughed to herself and Mimori stared at her as if she had just whacked her head and forgot how much Mimori disliked her.

Kyoko clutched her hands happily and swayed from side to side, "Ah, I want to get a makeover too," she said and Mimori looked at her annoyed.

"Ah," she said defensively as she showed dislike in her eyes, "No matter what kind of makeover you get, you won't be able to get Sho-chan's heart!" she declared and Kyoko blinked, she wasn't after that idiot's heart. She was here to get revenge on him and make him feel small and insignificant. "You are definitely not the type that Sho-chan likes!"

Kyoko looked at her and with a monotone voice nodded, "Yeah, I know." Kyoko looked Mimori over, she was definitely more of Shotaro's interest physically. She had a petite body but very large breasts. Those were two things that Shotaro had more interest in than her personality. "His type is someone like you," she said as she rolled her eyes and Mimori stared at her in surprise. Now she had been complimented twice by her. Mimori had been mean to her and Kyoko sighed, she had been nice to her twice.

Of course, their goals were completely different and Kyoko didn't want to even imagine a situation in which she would want to win Shotaro's heart. That was a disgusting concept to her especially after all that they had been through together. Kyoko sighed, she would try to wait it out and base her next move on Shotaro's reaction.

There was a knock on the door and they all turned around.

What the heck was Shotaro wearing?

 **End of Act 67**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 66**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD


	69. Act 68 - Odette

**AN:** I am choosing to write this for my own sake. Whether you choose to review or not is up to you. I have actually been attacked by many people since I took my break from the Skip Beat fandom. I have been called names, told that I am a life ruiner as I am the only way people can last between chapters and how it is unfair to them that I take a pause from writing. So, honestly. I don't care. Read if you want, don't read if you want. I do have a handful of readers who are really kind and make my day. As for the rest of you, I really don't care if I ruined your life or you need to call me a bitch because it's only discouraging me from writing. Well, enjoy.

 **Act 68 - Odette**

Kyoko stared horrified at the outfit that Shotaro was wearing, it didn't seem fair. He was dressed like a demon but he looked like he had come out of one of Kyoko's fantasies. He had a long black coat, dark leather pants, and accessories that made him seem so unnatural. He even had on a long wig and pointed ears. He was somewhere he shouldn't belong. Kyoko heard the makeup artist and Mimori praise him on how handsome he looked. She didn't want to deal with that right now.

He looked like a fairy tale prince and that pissed Kyoko off. Shotaro had never been interested in fairytales, those were her things, her passion and now he was being spoiled in looking like that. Kyoko felt at a loss. How could someone she hated take on that type of garb. It pissed her off.

"Sho!" Mimori said happily, "You look so cool," she said whilst the makeup artist suggested that she remain still in order to not make the makeup smudge. Despite Mimori hanging all over him, Sho lifted his head and looked at Kyoko. She flinched and pulled back. His eyes were examining her and Kyoko could only think of the mistakes that she had made around her identity.

Sho approached her and Kyoko felt a pain in her chest but she managed to keep calm. Leaning into her, Sho smiled coldly.

"Wha-What?" Kyoko asked as she took a couple of steps backwards.

"Right then," Sho smirked and Kyoko kept trying to remain in the character who had nothing to do with Shotaro but it felt like it was getting harder. "You were captivated, weren't you?"

Kyoko looked at him in shock and disgust, "I was not captivated," she argued. "I was only taken aback by the excessive finish."

Sho tilted his head to the side cockily, his eyes examining her and Kyoko felt a pain in her body. She saw that smirk appear again as he judged her. "Liar," he said and Kyoko's eyes widened. "You obviously like me," he said in his characteristically cocky manner.

Kyoko choked and her eyes widened. She didn't want to argue against him in the violent manner which she could imagine herself to do. She needed to keep hold onto any hope that he still hadn't figured out who he was. "What are you saying?" she asked and she paused with her fists at her side. He was being so blunt and confident and made it so that she felt as if she were backed into a corner.

"I'm talking about the fact that I'm the princess's fairy tale prince," Sho smirked and Kyoko paused, she paled again. She didn't want him to admit that. Kyoko felt a pain in her chest. Shoko wasn't here. She wasn't here to restrain the beast.

"I have no idea what you're saying," Kyoko laughed uneasily. "Are you feeling all right, Fuwa-chi?" she said although her face hurt from the pain to smile. She didn't want to talk to him alone, it wasn't safe alone, she was at risk of him finding out who she was and once he had found out who she was he would understand her motivations for being there. Kyoko had to try to pretend to be innocent even if Shoko wasn't there to restrain him.

"What is up with this, Fuwa-chi?" Kyoko said as she felt even more exposed. Sho looked at her, trying to prove to her that he knew who she was.

"Call me, Sho-chan," he said mockingly and Kyoko felt her heart collapse under the horror of what that would mean. She could refuse to do that, right? That was within her power to do that. She looked at him and realized how threatened she felt by his words and his pose as he came towards her, looming over her as if some kind of pervert.

"What are you saying, Fuwa-chii!" Kyoko asked as her voice got a bit louder and she could see Shotaro not caring about her discomfort. He was obviously suspicious but did he already know what the truth was.

Finally Kyoko could hear a sound that would release her, "Stop fooling around!" Mimori yelled before screaming and pouncing on top of Sho as if some woman whose man was being unfaithful. Kyoko could finally feel relieved because of her obsession over Shotaro. It kept him away from her.

"Sho-chan, you idiot!" Mimori yelled despite only being dressed in a towel. She started trying to hit Sho with slightly playful hits. "You're ignoring me and seducing that girl instead!" she wailed and Kyoko looked at the two of them in disbelief. Mimori had saved her and her secret from spilling out with her obsession, Kyoko had to be thankful for fate introducing that moment.

"Idiot!" Sho yelled back, "Who's seducing her?" he asked despite it seeming that way to everyone who didn't understand Shotaro's true nature.

Kyoko was led back inside the trailer by the makeup artist and she could feel the joy grow inside of her as the words that would always lift her spirit were said. "Okay, Kyoko-chan, put these clothes on. Let's hurry up and get your make up on."

Kyoko felt her heart lighten. Makeup would always cheer her up. Makeup was always her weakness. She couldn't afford the fancy items for herself so having the luxury of a makeup artist applying them was her greatest joy of acting. She wanted to create a transformation that a fairytale princess would go through.

Kyoko blushed happily and stepped forwards, "Okay," she said excitedly and in an unguarded joy. Who cared if Shotaro had stood in front of her like that and said the words he had chosen, she would become beautiful. The makeup had the power of making her beautiful.

Kyoko looked at Sho as he held up the fancy swan shaped bottle and her eyes widened. She had never believed that she would see such a beautiful product again. She had fallen in love with it but she hadn't had the money to spend on things like that and of course Shotaro would never have bought it for her.

"Oh," Sho said casually, "This shape is unusual for a cosmetic. I'm sure that I saw it before but what was the name again."

The makeup artist smiled as she looked at the piece that Sho was holding, "Ah, that," she said as Sho smiled thinking that his plan was working. "It's a popular brand."

"That's right," Sho nodded, "I remember now. Royal Snow," he said but before he had said that, Kyoko let out a word that though had been her joy long ago would now turn into her downfall.

"Odette!" she cried out as she reached for it. She had imagined a story behind this cosmetic full of princesses and sparkling balls and fairies and her imagination had yet again run wild as she conjured up a backstory. She ran forward for it but as Shotaro turned with a wicked smile on his face, Kyoko stopped. She had messed up. She had destroyed her own plan and he had won. She knew that there was no going back from this. He had the most evil smile on his face as he proved to her that he had won against her yet again.

Kyoko became incredibly pale. She had definitely messed up here.

…

…..

Kyoko stood in front of Shotaro as he had figured out who she was and held her chin low. She wasn't going to lose her confidence in front of him. She wasn't about to just run away just because he had figured out her secret. No. Life was too short to just turn around and run away like a scared little animal.

"Am I going to be dropped?" she asked as Shoko returned to Sho's side. She looked down in a very serious manner and Shoko turned to her.

"Dropped, why?" Sho asked with a lack of caring in his eyes thinking that he would prove to her how little she had ever meant to him. "Why should it bother me what you do?" he asked and Kyoko's eyes focused on him. She still couldn't make a dent in her revenge plot, could she? He didn't expect for her to fight and he definitely didn't expect for her to win.

Sho smirked as he saw how much she was hurting by his simple dismissal and lack of caring. "You want to get revenge on me?" he asked and Kyoko felt herself get a little more insecure inside but that insecurity wasn't going to show itself. He shook his head. He didn't believe she could win. She had never won before, what made this any different from all of those times. "Here's your chance," he said as he didn't even bother to look at her anymore. "How much can you threaten me."

…

…..

Despite the fact that she hadn't had ready access to makeup, Kyoko had found that every time she put it on she could transform into someone else and with this angel it was the same. She could feel that she was becoming a beautiful angel because of the makeup. Somehow she had a magical bond with it where it made her beautiful and she was so happy for that fact.

As she approached the others, she could hear the silence and see the shocked expressions on others faces. She could even see the way that Shotaro was looking at her in disbelief and her eyes showed even more intensity. He might be seeing her in a different light right now but looks weren't enough, she had to prove to be stronger and more talented than him. She had to prove that she was the force that could dim his showbiz light.

She refused to run away and hide. Shotaro could try to defeat her but she would win. She knew that she could do it and she felt the power increase as he stood there dumbstruck. Yes, she had already made her first step on the road to defeating her. Nothing could extinguish that energy.

 **End of Act 68**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to the kind reviewers of Act 67**

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD,


	70. Act 69 - You're On My Mind

**Act 69 – You're On My Mind**

Ren was glad that he had learned to not let his body sweat a long time ago. He had trained for hours to make it not happen, it wasn't the most attractive look. However, even he had to admit that the shooting location made it feel like he was a bit drained even in a sleeveless shirt. He looked to the man staring at him, studying him as if trying to find some kind of answer.

"I really," Yashiro Yukihito said as he studied Ren, "do not get you."

Ren blinked at him, trying not to show his surprise at that being said. To Ren it had seemed to come out of nowhere, such a casual statement. "What is it?" Ren asked as he turned to his manager unsure how else to respond to him. "All of a sudden."

Yashiro continued to frown at him, studying him the way that one studied a difficult math equation. "You are," he continued to state, "a prudent person in both judgment and decision. It is a first for you to carelessly stamp something," he said and Ren paused. Hadn't they gone over this before? Why was he being asked about it again?

"And it's a first for you to try to discipline a younger and less inexperienced actor in that kind of way. You say it was a mistake but I think you're making mistakes by not admitting your feelings about her." Ren looked at him before sighing, he saw Yashiro staring at him in an unamused fashion. "You are saying you haven't developed feelings for her."

"You're still on that," he said before shaking his head, "We already discussed this," he said and Yashiro raised an eyebrow. "My giving her those stamps wasn't out of any emotional feelings for her. My job requires me to look at other people's work objectively. I can't let my emotions mess with how I treat others," he argued. "She wouldn't have learned from a 100 points stamp."

Yashiro sighed, "Poor, Kyoko-chan, there are lessons to be learned from 100 point stamps even if you don't try to correct them. She tried really hard for you. You're never going to fully sway her heart if you act with tough love towards her. She worked herself half to death for your sake," Yashiro lamented and Ren gave a solemn look as he stared at the area in front of him. Was he getting too close to her? Was he going to start affecting her with his own pain or was it too late, was she already hurt because of him. He had felt that she understood that he wasn't a fairy but maybe that still stung a little. Even if he had said that to her as a child, he should take more responsibility for it.

"Even if I did have feelings for her," Ren said as he looked into the distance to avoid eye contact with his manager. "It wouldn't be worth saying that. In her mind, she still has another who takes up more of her attention than me and I can't bring her happiness. Even if those emotions _did_ exist, there's no chance of them coming to fruition."

"She cares about me as a friend and in those instances, she was trying to act the role of my manager but she was only acting a part. Besides, she might not have forgiven me if I wasn't at least a little bit critical. That is the way she was brought up, the way she lived her life as a child," he said and Yashiro looked to him not believing that that was the reason as to why Ren was acting this way. Was he actually scared of getting involved in an adult relationship? Was he scared of committing to any one woman?

"So you are treating her like a child," Yashiro said and Ren turned to him with shock. "You sound as if you're making her decisions for her."

Ren blinked and sighed, "Am I being childish?" he asked the older male, "To use my own thoughts and feelings to decide what kind of stamp to give her."

"Yeah," Yashiro nodded and Ren hesitated. He couldn't truly explain his reasons and he sounded like a jerk wanting to offer her, 'tough love'. "However, I can understand your feelings," he smiled and Ren paused as he looked at him. He didn't want to turn into one of those kinds of guys who was a jerk to women because his ego was threatened. His father hadn't taught him to be like that.

"You wanted to imagine that those were the actions of a girl that was your girlfriend," Yashiro commented and Ren stared at him. He hadn't wanted to hear this but the words Yashiro was telling him were completely honest. "You were shocked when you woke up from the reality. You've fallen for her, Ren, it's beyond obvious," he said and Ren paled. If Yashiro knew this was there a chance that Kyoko would know this as well? No. He needed to keep to his choice not to have important people in his life. He couldn't place more importance on her. It wasn't fair to her.

"No, I…I didn't want her to … I don't want to be her boyfriend," he laughed weakly and Yashiro stared at him, continuing to stay unimpressed. "I'm her friend, that's true. Maybe I wanted to be a little spoiled by her but only because I don't really get spoiled by anyone. She also is someone who takes pride in her jobs and I wanted to provide her with a little bit of experience at what being part of the Love Me section really means. It's not about wanting to be her boyfriend," he said and Yashiro took a step back.

He hadn't expected for Ren to say this but something about Ren's facial expression and body language seemed to say the same thing. Ren wasn't interested in being Kyoko's boyfriend. It seemed like the logical step in Yashiro's mind. Ren loved being around Kyoko. Ren trusted in Kyoko. Yet, he had no desire to conquer her. Was this because Ren was inexperienced? How could someone look the way that Ren looked and still be inexperienced in the matters of love.

How could he truly be _this_ clueless?

…

…

Kyoko stared at Shotaro with a superior smile on her face. Everyone was looking at her in shock because of the magical transformation of the magic. She really valued and appreciated the makeup and its magic spell and that was the reason she was able to become so beautiful. However, as she heard the gasps and shock of those around her, her attention drew back to Shotaro.

"You," he began, staring at her in confusion and Kyoko smirked. She knew that with that dumb and idiotic look on his face, he could be destroyed and that's what she wanted most, to destroy him. "Kyoko?" he asked and Kyoko kicked him in the shin hard enough to feel the bone under her foot. Everyone gasped around her but now that he knew who she was, she would take her opportunity to hurt him.

"Did that hurt?" Kyoko smiled coldly as she saw the pained expression on his face. She grabbed his collar and pulled it down, her eyes narrowing and a fire burning within them. She had the look of hate in her eyes. She wouldn't forgive him for what he had put her through, she knew that much.

"But," she continued in the same cold manner, "My pain in here," she said as she directed a thumb to her chest and her voice and facial expression turned even more demonic as she reflected on the pain and how she wanted to take revenge on the one who had made her feel such terrible emotions, "Is much greater."

Sho took a step backwards, trying to collect himself and not show how much seeing her evil side had affected him. He heard the cruel and evil laugh which came out her mouth and tried to gain balance as he stared at her. Kyoko knew that in Shotaro's small mind, she had become a demon, a monster but that was what he had done to her. He had been the catalyst for this change.

"You, how dare you kick me?" Sho asked uneasily, "And staring at me with those eyes and pointing at your chest."

Kyoko looked at him sickened, how could he even interpret the way that she had pointed to her chest as anything even remotely sexual or provocative. No, of course he wouldn't have interpreted it that way. He was an idiot who only saw her as plain and boring. He would never be attracted about her and she was glad about that.

"What's wrong?" she whispered as she attempted to test his "manhood", "You think I won't dare to kick you?" she asked and looked into his eyes. She could tell that he was thinking of the pure Kyoko that she used to be before she got that cold wake up that was caused by him. There was no way of her going back to that nice, sweet, soft spoken girl. She wasn't going to stop livjng her life for her and only for her. "You are comparing the old to me to the current me, right?"

Sho paused, unsure how to answer and Kyoko smirked again. She pitied him but that didn't mean that she would stop with her revenge plan. He needed to suffer. He needed to suffer as much as possible. "Unfortunately today," she whispered to him, wanting to intimidate him or at least make him feel a lot less confident than he was claiming to be. "The naïve, pure Kyoko you used to know…no longer exists."

She pushed Sho backwards, her eyes challenging him to argue with that and he stared at her in shock. Nobody treated him in this rude fashion, all the girls that he had met had fallen head over heels in love with him. Kyoko used to be one of those girls but this woman in front of him. Kyoko was glad he was looking at her this way, she could read his thoughts and feelings just as she had his whole life.

"It's good," Kyoko finally said with a look of confidence on her face as she focused on the character, the angel who got to finally kill Shotaro, "That you like to pretend that no one else exists and decided not to drop me from this project. I will make you so regretful that you will want to die," she said as she glared at him and Sho didn't answer her, he didn't know how to answer her.

A fire was burning from within Kyoko's heart and it didn't seem that it would ever stop burning, at least not until she claimed her win. Today the one who will suffer, will be the demon.

 **End of Act 69**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 68**

Callisto, Erza Tsuruga, H-Nala, JeremyVD, Kaname671, Lizalee, Marca 05

AN: For everyone PMing me to update X or update Y, please stop. I have a ton of Skip Beat fics out there and you can read those. I really want to write the ones I want to write. I've actually become much happier about my writing this way. If I remain happy there's greater chance of my updating other stories but I don't think I'll prioritize all of my Skip Beat fics the way I did in the past.


	71. Act 70 - I Can't Do This, I Hate Her

**AN:** Sorry this is a little short, I'm just really busy to even write this much 😊 Thank you for choosing to read.

 **Act 70 – I Can't Do This, I Hate Her**

Despite sharing the mutual dislike of working together, Kyoko was able to portray the actions of an angel when she looked towards Mimori. She wasn't seeing the spoiled and slow-witted puppy dog there but she was remembering all the joys of being with Moko-chan and of how she would want to spend more time in the future connecting with her friend in that manner. It was easy once she came to the realization that by mentally turning Mimori into Kanae, she could act out the character motivations. However, there was something wrong with this and a crying and wailing Mimori was the result.

This was _not_ Kyoko's fault.

"What are you doing?"Sho said as Kyoko took a step back, examining the scene before her which she was sadly being included in. She hadn't wanted for this to happen and she hadn't felt so irked for a long time. She truly disliked this girl.

"That," Kyoko gestured to the crying baby, "You think of something."

Sho paused, before turning his attention to the direction where Kyoko was looking and the direction which the noise was coming in. They stared at the girl who was sobbing hard and rubbing her eyes despite the makeup work being complete.

"I'm already doing my best," Mimori protested, "but I really can't make myself feel friendly because I really hate this person."

Mimori turned and hugged onto Sho thinking that he might be the prince that Kyoko knew he wasn't. She looked down bitterly. This was boring. She had often had girls say these things to her before and had tried not to internalize them but this time she was feeling bored and irritated by the entire event.

As Mimori sobbed with Sho only touching her by the shoulders but not giving her a proper embrace, Haruki came closer to the two of them. She leaned down to talk to Mimori. "Mimori, you should also know that this isn't something you can solve just by saying that you hate her."

There was silence after that but only for a brief moment, this was a chance that Sho could take and to Kyoko's horror he did so. He looked at Kyoko as if she were a flea.

"You really are a detestable person, aren't you? I knew it a long time ago. Do you feel sad living?"

Kyoko paused. Those were words which she hadn't wanted to hear from anyone, yes, her mother had often made her feel that way but she didn't want to be told it. It angered her even more. Such hurtful words had to be purposefully chosen and how dare he shift the blame onto her when the reason for Mimori acting in this manner was because of him.

"This is completely your fault!" Kyoko snapped, her face showing the deep rooted anger from within, "You're making it sound as if you've got nothing to do with this."

"Touche," Sho said in response as he stared at her bitterly. Kyoko felt even more anger, he never took responsibility for things, that had always been the way he acted his whole life. He wasn't able to see the world from outside his own view because he had never tried. Kyoko exhaled bitterly. "What did I do?"

"You've always been close to me alone! So those girls who have crushes on you all hate me!" she said and Shotaro blinked, staring at her he paused as he saw how enraged she was and Kyoko sensed some uncertainty and maybe even a little insecurity in his expression.

"So you're saying," he said slowly, his eyes showing that he was just realizing something at this point, "It's because of my handsome features and vast popularity that you were never able to make any friends?" he said, looking as if he was in some kind of a trance. Kyoko hated this. She knew he wasn't going to apologize to her, he wouldn't waste his breath on a plain and boring woman like her. She felt that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

""So, my popularity was really that great,"" Kyoko said, the anger radiating off of her body as if heat waves, "Is what you're thinking, right?" she asked and Sho looked away. He didn't want to admit that she was right because even though those were the thoughts going through his mind, he didn't want to give Kyoko the satisfaction of thinking that she was right. "I really hate people like you! You don't feel any guilt at all!" Kyoko snapped at him, becoming even angrier due to his indifference. Why should she expect anything more from him?

"Why should I feel guilty?" Sho asked with a satisfied smile on his face, "Who knew that it was so wrong to be close to the girl who -"

Mimori started yelling and hitting the air with her fists as Sho spoke. Her voice was loud and her actions were violent and over the top and Kyoko had to take a step back from the shock that she was feeling. She hadn't expected this. She didn't think anyone else expected this either. In fact, Sho's last words had fallen upon deaf ears due to her outburst.

" - understands me best?"

…..

…

Despite still being frustrated over the whole series of events, as Mimori's manager attempted to make her apologies, Kyoko couldn't help but feel a little compassion for her. It would be hard to follow someone like Mimori around all day and even though Kyoko just wanted this moment to be over, it wasn't as if anyone could have planned for this to happen.

Haruki sighed, "What a headache. Even though it's just a promotional video, we're not making any progress at all, feelings and expressions are also essential –"

The manager was stuck in a deep and apologetic bow, sweat was on her forehead and she definitely appeared to be hut by this whole series of events. "I'm sorry, our Mimori…" she turned her attention to Kyoko. "I apologize to you, Kyoko-san, too. Even though Mimori is new, "it's not possible because I hate her," it really wasn't meant to turn out like this so we've hurt you too."

Kyoko's eyes widened. She felt bad that this young woman was apologizing for her disrespectful client when she actually hadn't done anything herself. She didn't want to face someone who hadn't actually harmed her as they apologized for another, she didn't want for someone to feel that they had mistreated her. She would take an apology from Mimori herself but not on her behalf.

"Do-Don't worry," Kyoko said a little nervous about this. "Acting is really easily influenced by one's emotions. I don't mind at all. I'll wait patiently," she tried to say hoping that the manager would calm down. It worked as the young woman turned to her with a smile.

"Ah," she said and Kyoko could see respect in her eyes. "Even though you're also new, you understand this stuff so well," she said. Kyoko grit her teeth and turned away from her. She wasn't doing it because of that. She just wanted to protect herself. She pitied her for wanting to be Shotaro's lover, who knew the depths of hell that Mimori was taking a step into better than Kyoko herself.

Kyoko looked towards Shotaro with a deep set glare, she knew that if Mimori quit they'd have to work quickly and frantically and there was a chance that she would have to play Sho's lover. That was a punishment far worse than death. She wouldn't be able to do that. Also, Shotaro wasn't that much of a professional that Kyoko could trust in the fact that he wouldn't stomp his feet and yell that he hated her and then he'd quit. That would mean that this terrible day wouldn't have happened or that it had all amounted to nothing. No, the best thing to do was keep still and be patient.

Kyoko eyed Sho carefully, she needed for him to not be the idiot she suspected that he actually was and mess all of this up. It was a misunderstanding. They didn't have the type of relationship that Mimori thought that they had. They had been childhood friends but they weren't even friends any longer. Shotaro needed to clear the mess up so that they could continue filming. Even if Kyoko had to witness Shotaro kissing her and such a silly manipulative act that made her feel dirty from the inside out, if it would bring them back to filming it wouldn't be _that_ revolting.

…..

…

After what felt like an extremely long time, the filming started again. Kyoko put herself in the mindset that Mimori was Moko-chan and her actions became soft and loving. She could act with Mimori because she tried to imagine her as someone else. Maybe not the kindest of acts but it would make sure that they started moving again and that they could shape some kind of progress.

Kyoko could tell that she was performing strongly, she could feel herself become the angel that she was supposed to be and she saw that the people watching her could feel it too. Even Mimori had been able to pretend alongside her. This was something that made Kyoko think of Ren and how he had led her in the only scene she had performed opposite him. Not only was Ren her friend but he was her ideal actor, her role model, her motivation and she wanted to make him proud of her.

There was a shining energy as Mimori fed into the brightness that Kyoko was bringing and became an angel to match her energy. There was such a good and shining energy there. Kyoko felt proud of herself as she continued to act. She knew that she could do this and fortunately Mimori believed that as well.

Kyoko knew from filming this scene that she could bring it as an attack against Shotaro. She could believe in her acting. She would make him squirm and regret the way that he had treated her. She would eat him alive.

After they had filmed and were watching what had been captured by the camera, Sho came over to Kyoko who glared at him. Sho took a step back as well and Kyoko watched him bitterly.

"You actually have a little acting talent," he said. Kyoko knew that it was meant as an observation and not a compliment. No. She didn't want to be complimented by him, it would make her feel as if she had been covered in slime.

Instead she continued to glare at him, "I too wouldn't have thought of acting just last year. If you hadn't ditched me, I wouldn't have had a chance to become interested in acting."

 **End of Act 70**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you, Kaname671, for reviewing Act 69


	72. Act 71 - On Top of the Building

**AN:** I am going to try to update this fic every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday whilst also working on my other active fics (for ALL series's. So, if you're a Disney fan I have a lot in those categories). I'll do my best. I hope you enjoy this chapter though.

 **Act 71 – On Top of the Building**

Kyoko's eyes grew wider as she saw Mimori standing in front of her with an angry expression on her face. Suddenly the words which she said didn't seem to make any sense as she stood there with her fists in front of her, "Did you two date before!?" she asked and Kyoko continued to stare at her as if she had somehow lost her mind.

"What?" she asked slowly and Mimori stared at her, the frustration obvious not only in her body posture but her facial expression as well.

"Sho-chan won't tell me so I'm asking you" Mimori clarified and Kyoko continued to stare at her, twitching a little due to the absurdity of the question. "You two, what kind of a relationship did you two have before!?" she demanded to know and Kyoko could feel her anger starting to take over and wrap around her as if a rope. She let her demons come out as she felt as if she were covered in slime just from the thought that the two of them could have been in some type of romantic relationship.

"Our past relationship?" Kyoko asked, the dark aura spreading out everywhere, "If you want to know from the beginning it'll take three days and three nights to finish," she said as she saw Mimori's expression change so that she looked as if she were petrified by the events before her. "Do you really want to listen?"

"N-No," Mimori squeaked in a scared and intimidated manner. Kyoko couldn't control her anger. It would always be there when she thought about the mistreatment that Shotaro gave her throughout her entire life. "Forget it," she said as she shivered and Kyoko sighed, attempted to calm herself.

With a look off into the distance, Kyoko tried to maintain a steady disposition. "It's not what you think," Kyoko told the younger girl, "our relationship wasn't the lovey dovey type. I don't know why you are worried," she said as she turned to Mimori, facing her as an equal rather than a pest, "but, from not on that guy won't like me." Mimori blinked in confusion. Obviously she was thinking that there was some more meaningful bond but Kyoko had to clear the air. There truly wasn't anymore. "Didn't I say it before? That guy, he is interested in women like you. You can rest assured when I say it since I grew up with him. If I could, I want to erase the past I shared with him."

Kyoko sighed. She didn't want to have nostalgic feelings about how they had spent their childhood years together. She wished that that had never happened but it would always be there. She would always have acted so foolishly and have been duped so easily.

"You should have more confidence in yourself," Kyoko told her and Mimori paused. Kyoko could tell that she was debating over whether to trust in those words or not but Kyoko meant it. With the way Mimori looked and the figure and her bust size, Shotaro was sure to take her a lot more seriously as a romantic companion than he had ever taken her.

…

…

Haruki looked at the young talents that stood beside her, all holding the script in their hands. They were positioned in front of what appeared to be a crumbling, Gothic-style building and Kyoko knew that this was a building that would always bear importance to her. This was the building on which she would slay the demon and she would do this both physically for the video and in her mind. It was symbolic of her murder of Shotaro and just one part of the revenge that she intended.

"Understand?" Haruki asked them, "On top of that old building, the devil and the angel who fell in love with the devil are not very weak, so Kyoko only need to lightly grasp his neck to make him fall and slay the devil." Everyone looked up at the producer who seemed very eager and excited about this scene. This was going to be a shot that involved all three of them and it was hopefully going to become the most memorable part of the video.

"The workers will ensure your safety, Sho, so not need to worry," she tried to encourage him and Shotaro nodded at that. "All right. Let's try practicing," she said energetically and Kyoko smiled to herself. She would be able to murder him. Yes, it was all make believe. She wouldn't actually be killing him for real but in her heart it felt good for this to be happening.

As Sho turned to Kyoko though, she turned to him sharply. He was staring at her in a way that appeared to be a threat and Kyoko was definitely not going to allow him to threaten her. It wasn't worth it. She would win against him. It was written out in the script and it would become so in real life as well.

"Let's try it!" Haruki announced and Kyoko knew that the battle was starting. She would not back down to him. She would do anything that she could to hold her own power.

Kyoko turned so that she could address the group, "Even though I am still currently learning and have not graduated yet, this scene, I will put all my heart, my best effort, to play out the role of my character."

Kyoko turned to Shotaro with such a strong confidence that everyone could see her energy and the boldness in her eyes. Kyoko was not going to allow herself to just become a decoration which would make Shotaro shine brighter, she was going to become powerful enough to steal the video from him and with it some of his fanbase. In her eyes this was a moment that could become a great chance of defeat for her. After this scene, Shotaro would regret letting her act. He would be knocked down by her talent. There was no way that he wouldn't be.

The way he pulled back in shock caused Kyoko to feel a delicious taste in her mouth that she wanted to enjoy over and over again.

…

…

Kyoko smiled as she stood at the top of the building facing the demon. He was a demon to her both as a character and in real life. She wasn't going to let him attack her any longer, this time she would be on the attack. She knew what she had to do and as she heard the clack of the board she moved forwards. It was the beginning of her getting her physical revenge for real.

As the entire area became surrounded by her grudges, Kyoko could feel the irritation from within her and her face turned somewhat demonic as she put her hands around his neck. He would soon be begging for her to spare his life and she wasn't sure whether she could show him mercy. She wanted to kill him, to suffocate him. She wanted to murder whatever life force was within him.

She could hear the screams of the crew, of Mimori, and Haruki, but she continued to do it anyway. It was only fueling the fire that had been burning for far too long inside of her. She would get her revenge this way. He would burn in hell for what he had done to her but even that might be too good for him.

"K-Kyoko! Wait!" Haruki yelled desperately as she ran towards the building and Kyoko could hear the sound of the cuts and people yelling stop. She had forgotten that she was only supposed to be acting. She had lost her head and that was something that Ren never did. He was always so calm and collected, he would be unimpressed at seeing her like this.

"Your killing aura is way too much," Haruki told her and Kyoko bowed her head in shame and depression. She hadn't remembered to become the actor and to kill him with acting. She had just wanted to see him in complete and utter misery.

"Sorry," Kyoko whispered as Sho tried to catch his breath. Hopefully he didn't need makeup applied to his neck. It would mean that she would have inconvenienced everyone and slowed down the shoot. "I was lost in the moment," Kyoko attempted to apologize. She had become so lost in her actions, so motivated in trying to kill him that her choker had even changed shape. It was as if she had a strange power inside of her, a dark magic that was beyond her control.

"Your role is an angel, Kyoko-san," Haruki reprimanded her.

Kyoko kept her head bowed. Yes, angels weren't supposed to be so destructive. Angels didn't really kill for real and she had lost that part of her. That was the mark of a true actress, being able to stay in role no matter what. "I know," she said apologetically.

Her bad habits always rose to the surface when she saw Shotaro, especially if he was smiling and acting cocky. She felt that he had taken away her freedom and her happiness, why would she not want to take that from him as well.

"Bu-but, I…I'm playing an angel who really hates the devil and in the end, I become a devil myself, that's what you said," Kyoko tried to defend herself. She could sense that Haruki was being compassionate with her and understanding but Ren might not be that way. To Kuon, acting meant everything and you had to truly understand a role to be able to live within it. She hadn't been understanding the role as a whole yet, only the part which she wanted to believe in.

"That's right," Haruki nodded, "I want you to show that part, but, that was way too much. It is the last part. It's after she kills the devil. You became evil _before_ you killed the devil," she told her and Kyoko nodded slowly. She could understand that. She had to hold back her anger somehow but t was hard. He had hurt her too much for her not to let that anger slide into her acting.

Kyoko understood that the pure hearted angel that she was supposed to be betraying never felt the kind of evil feeling which she possessed. The angel's heart had been consumed by the evil feelings that accompanied her first crime of destroying the demon. It was for the sake of her friend's happiness that she had caused it and lost her sanity. It was a situation completely different from her own and Kyoko was scared she didn't know how to portray _that_ part.

…

…

As the cameras started rolling again, Kyoko had sight of her target and she was listening until they told her they were ready to start shooting. Once that happened, she tried to murder Sho again but this time tried to smile angelically whilst doing it. She couldn't hold onto that peaceful expression however and she started to look deranged as she gripped onto him, wishing to kill him. She heard people yelling at her to stop this time as well. She had so much killing intent that it didn't work again. As they told her to stop, Kyoko felt her depression building and Haruki approached her once again. Kyoko felt depressed enough that she hated herself.

"Kyoko," Haruki tried to say tenderly, "Why don't we rest for a while? We will film Sho and Mimori-chan's part first. Sit here and watch. Think about how you should act like an angel," she tried to advise her and Kyoko stared in front of her in shock. She had always tried to do her best but her mind didn't seem to be focused on that right now. All of the anger was hitting a boiling point and she seemed unable to do the job which she had been asked to perform.

"Don't worry, you can do it," Haruki attempted to encourage her, "Weren't you doing well with Mimori-chan before? Your expressions and actions showed a very beautiful and kind hearted angel," she said and Kyoko nodded slowly. She had only been able to act that way because she had pretended that Mimori was Kanae. She had wanted to act that way with Kanae. She had wanted to be more than friends with her, she had wanted to be best friends, sisters, and the love she had for her brought her such hope.

That hope quickly disappeared as Shotaro approached her, "Your expression shows that you are in your little fantasy world again," she commented and Kyoko glared at him. She didn't want to talk to him right now. He never came with any good news.

"You are quite composed," Sho noted, "Your failure affected the whole production pace," he said and Kyoko felt herself in shock. She definitely didn't want to hear these judgmental words from _him,_ "I thought I would lose my composure like you said but you reap what you sow. The reason I haven't switched someone so inefficient is…" Sho sneered at her and Kyoko felt the attack deeply resonate within her, "You say something like "put your heart into acting" I couldn't see your effort at all. Please, I beg you do it better next time," he said before pulling in closer and bringing Kyoko's sense of self-worth tumbling, "Do try to work hard on acting."

Kyoko's eyes widened. What if she couldn't do it? Would she had to let him win? Would she have come all this way for nothing? What could she possibly do to get back on track and to win against him. Right now, it seemed that failure was entirely possible.

 **End of Act 71**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 70**

Erza, Guest, H-Nala, Kaname671


	73. Act 72 - Desperate Voicemail Messages

**Act 72 – Desperate Voicemail Messages**

Kyoko sobbed in despair as she sat in the middle of her dressing room. She felt as if she were a child again, scolded by her own mother who people said she must love her but she really didn't. Kyoko wasn't even sure she deserved any love at that age. She felt the pain in her chest as she cried out to the world. Her plan was failing and that might mean she had revealed herself for nothing. How could her plan be failing _now_?

"So unfair!" Kyoko said as she started to bang on the counter in front of the mirror. "I'm so angry! So Angry! So Angry!" she yelled before crying some more. She flinched as she remembered the look of superiority that Sho had given to her. "Who do you think was the reason for my bad acting?" she asked as she looked at the reflection in her mirror. "That bastard!"

Kyoko screamed as she ran from the mirror and started screaming whilst pounding her fists at the wall, "I usually work very hard!" she declared before falling to the floor in complete exhaustion. "If it can be as smooth as the scenes I did with Mimori, then that would be unbelievable," she sad as the tears made their way from her eyes and down her cheeks. "You are so low! You are so low!" she repeated before her screams turned muffled and she took slow breaths to catch her breath. "You are…so low" she repeated before her head touched the floor and she sighed.

She lifted her head feeling the complete agony which came with this defeat. She stared ahead of her, aware of the gloom that was surrounding her. There didn't seem to be a way of successfully acting out her role as she had done with Mimori because in her mind she wasn't with Mimori, she was with Kanae. She could act that way with Kanae. Still face-to-face with Shotaro, she could only see him and couldn't fool herself.

There was nobody as disgusting as Sho who she could imagine in that place, nobody who hurt her heart as much. She couldn't control her killing aura because she wasn't able to imagine herself in any other situation. She felt that she couldn't do it and that meant disqualification, failure, and all of her work would have been for nothing.

 _I want an angel that hasn't committed sin yet, trying to protect the pure angel's heart._

Kyoko froze as she remembered Haruki's advice. Kyoko paused, she was finally finding her true self through acting and though she couldn't tell Ren about this job assignment, he had been so proud of her for believing in herself. She was trying to use acting to get revenge and this was only karmic retribution. Kyoko put her hands over her eyes to catch her tears. "What am I doing?" she asked aloud, "I…If I get turned down by these things too…" she shook her head. She couldn't afford to break because to break would be to lose and she definitely couldn't afford to lose.

Before Kyoko realized it, she had pulled out a doll of Ren that she had made to keep her company. Right now he had his lecture face on because she needed for him to give her some tough love. That was what he did, right? He gave her tough love. He and Kanae seemed to be the only ones who could help her that way.

She made the little Ren point at her before folding his arms, "I told you a long time ago!" she imitated his voice, "If you use this sort of attitude to act, even if you are an artist, you still won't make me happy. Truth be told," she said as she made him point at her again. "I don't like this you at all."

Kyoko sobbed as she held the doll. She needed someone to help her, to talk to her but dolls weren't going to do it. As much as imitating his voice usually helped her, she needed some proper help and advice but she didn't want to be a burden on anyone. She needed to think of who she could be as an angel but she didn't have to show that anger. The angel definitely was angry but she held it back, only becoming a devil with the act of murder. How could she portray those things?

Kyoko stared at the doll in her hands, she didn't know how to act out the feelings of the angel and she looked at the face of the doll. "I don't know how to act it out," she admitted. She stared into his eyes. What could she do? "Tell me what should I do, Ren?"

As she breathed his name, her heart felt a lot lighter. She knew how much she wanted him here but that was selfish, he had sacrificed so much for his acting. She couldn't burden him with this, right? She sighed. If only she hadn't lost Corn in anger then maybe she could rely on the stone for help.

Kyoko took out her phone and called Kanae, she knew that she couldn't bother Ren when he was so busy but maybe Kanae would have some more free time in which they could talk and even discuss this problem that Kyoko was having. It was definitely not Kanae's problem though. Kyoko waited for the phone to be picked up but only got voicemail. She was being a little too hopeful, wasn't she?

"It's a sea of darkness before my eyes," Kyoko wailed as she tried to get Kanae's help despite not hearing her voice, "I totally don't know what to do. Please save me Kanae!" she yelled and then heard the beep that her message was recorded. Kyoko sighed and stared at the phone feeling defeated once again. She had wanted to talk to her about the current problem which she was facing and only managed to get voicemail.

Kyoko looked down sadly. She felt that she was getting a headache and she turned to the doll again. Kanae might be the best person to talk to about acting techniques but there _was_ Ren. He would know what to do. Still, his schedule was so busy that he was unlikely to pick up for her even though they were friends. Work came first for him at all times because he had made sacrifices for it. It seemed only fair for him to consider work more important than her.

She looked at his number as she tapped her finger on the phone and shook her head. There was no doubt that he was working. She sighed before remembering all the times in which he had smiled to her and her finger went onto the button to call him. He wouldn't get angry at her for doing this, would he?

She waited for the phone to ring before stopping.

"The number you are calling is unavailable at the moment. Please leave a message after the 'beep'."

Kyoko sighed. Of course he wouldn't pick up for her. He probably wasn't even near his phone. Kyoko sighed before her back straightened as soon as she heard the beep. "It's Kyoko," she said automatically, "You must be working hard now so I'm sorry to disturb you in the midst of your work," she struggled to say before closing her eyes and trying to relax, "I suddenly called you because I need your help with something…" Kyoko opened her eyes, still attempting to relax when calling him. "Actually…" she slowed down before realizing that she might have to tell him about Shotaro if she asked for his help. She couldn't afford to do that. She didn't want to act as if he were her boyfriend and she was calling because of another guy. No. Ren had made it clear that they wouldn't be boyfriend-girlfriend and this was exactly the way that a girlfriend acted.

No. She couldn't afford to act this way and tell him that it was all because of Shotaro. She didn't want to see him looking disappointed or angry when she turned to him. She wanted only positive memories with him like the ones they had shared as children. This was a bad idea. If he knew about this, he'd know her reason for accepting the job. He'd get upset again because of her reasons. She didn't want for him to be upset with her. Only good memories.

No. She couldn't let him find out about this. Calling him had been a mistake. She had to hide this from him. She paused before hearing the sound telling her that the recording time had ended and she felt a dark cloud around her. She hadn't finished her message. It didn't make sense without an ending and he would be suspicious about that.

She was about to dial to leave a message of apology before the phone started ringing in her hands and she saw that it was Kanae calling her back. She had never had a friend return her call before. This was exciting and she definitely felt loved.

"Hello? Hello? Moko-chan?" Kyoko asked with a grin on her face.

There was silence on the phone and Kyoko blinked, paling a little, "Moko-chan?" she asked slowly before hearing a heavy sigh.

"Mo," Kanae replied, "This stupid voice," she said as Kyoko blinked in surprise. Kanae repeated the words from the message and Kyoko felt a weakness in her. "Just because of this stupid lifeless voice message, I thought you were facing some life endangering situations!" Kanae yelled so loudly that Kyoko had to hold the phone away from her not to get deafened by her loud voice. "You case people to misunderstand way too easily, mo" she continued to scold. Kyoko froze, "If it's just some problems at work, make it clear!"

Kyoko hesitantly pulled the phone close to her ear, "but, you already knew about me filming in Sho's video, so there's no need for me to stay and you'll still understand," Kyoko replied. She didn't understand the yelling but she was thrilled that Kanae had called her back in response.

"Who the hell would understand!?" Kanae yelled back in response. "Really, you sure do know how to stir things up. Listen, from today onwards, don't be so stingy with your words. You have to say everything clearly from the start, mo!"

Kyoko smiled happily, even though she was being scolded, she was being scolded because someone was taking the time to care about her. This feeling was one of being accepted and having a friendship which she had always dreamed about.

"Hey!" Kanae shouted again, "Are you there? If you are, give me some reaction!"

Kyoko closed her eyes as she finally felt something akin to a wash of peace float through her. She felt precious, loved, treasured. "Yes, I am," Kyoko said softly, "I am listening to you."

The fact that Kanae worried about her made her feel that finally someone cared about her. She knew that Kuon cared but the relationship between the two of them was complicated. This friendship with Kanae was starting to feel a lot more comfortable and a lot easier to navigate. It was as if after Kanae had heard her voicemail, she had abandoned everything else she was doing and phoned her back. This kind of happiness was rare with Kyoko but it made her blush. She hadn't been cared about this way as a child, this was something new and something she could only experience here because of acting.

She could imagine herself and Kanae doing things that friends do, things that she always wanted to do. She could think about them sharing treats, going shopping together, interacting like sisters even. This was the way that Kyoko had imagined Mimori, that type of friendship which she had always desired. She could definitely imagine Kanae as the beautiful angel but…maybe this meant that she could use Kanae for the rest of the shoot as well.

 **End of Act 72**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 71**

Erza


	74. Act 73 - I'll Hate You For Killing Him

**AN:** I wanted to stop the chapter at a certain point so it's much shorter than others.

 **Act 73 – I'll Hate You For Killing Him**

Kyoko froze as suddenly those pleasant thoughts of friendship faded and she could see Kanae in a situation similar to hers, being used by the devil. She could imagine Shotaro walking all over her. She could imagine Kanae sacrificing her dreams, her money, her freedom all for Shotaro. She would become just like Kyoko if that happened. Worse was if that person was a threat to her life. If Kanae was suffering because of this man then Kyoko would want to murder him.

The worst thing that could happen would be if Kanae were to die or head towards her death and then Kyoko would have to murder him before he could kill her very good friend. Kyoko wouldn't even hesitate on it at that moment. No matter how much Kanae loved some guy like that, Kyoko wouldn't allow him to hurt her.

"Hey!" Kanae yelled on the other end of the line and Kyoko sat up abruptly, she had forgotten that she was on the phone with how much she slipped into her fantasyland. "You aren't responding again, Mo!" Kanae snapped and Kyoko remembered that she was on the phone and that must have been an awfully long pause. "Don't tell me you aren't listening to me again!"

"S-Sorry," Kyoko said a little taken aback, "I wasn't listening."

"What!?" Kanae said, sounding annoyed and Kyoko couldn't blame her for those sentiments. "What's the meaning of this, huh!?"

"I already apologized," Kyoko said weakly as she felt self-conscious about there being a possibility of Kanae disliking her. "My mind is full of that character which I'm unable to portray."

Kanae coughed before sighing, "So…that's why I'm asking you, what kind of character is that? What conditions have rendered you to be unable to act, mo?"

"This…" Kyoko said awkwardly before taking a slow breath and just deciding to be entirely honest, "I…I am supposed to be an angel," she replied.

"Angel? It can't be those with wings at the back that are obviously angels with one glance?" Kanae asked in slight disbelief but Kyoko could tell that she was relieved that she wasn't in this situation. Kyoko would have loved to see Kanae as an angel though.

"Bingo. Except there's no wings, it'll be added with a computer later, but the clothes have an angelic feel. That's why I have something to ask you?" Kyoko said, her voice showing her awkward nature when it came to this and she could tell that Kanae was attempting to be patient with her.

"What is it?"

Kyoko froze as she felt her heart beat in her chest. At first she had only been thinking about the feelings of her own character and how to portray her angel but that didn't seem to be living through acting, there were other people she had to work with and consider, she was supposed to be living inside of a new world and not only was she supposed to be bringing her angel life but she was supposed to think about the characters of the second angel and even the devil as well. Friendship was one thing that Kyoko didn't want to sacrifice but it seemed to be something that her own angel was faced with.

"If you fell in love with someone whom you could sacrifice your life for, but…but that man will shorten your lifespan and cause you to die quickly…."

Kanae seemed to be irritated already with this question as she replied, "What are you talking about?"

Kyoko quickly tried to explain, "It's just an example,"

"So," Kanae attempted to soften her voice in order to show Kyoko that she supported her. Kyoko knew that Kanae had problems with social interactions so just the fact that she was talking was enough, she wasn't going to demand any type of response from her best friend. "What happened after?"

"After…so I don't like the guy who threatens your life and so…so I…in order to protect you, I must kill that guy." Kyoko closed her eyes feeling a few tears prick in them already. She didn't want to imagine this happening because she didn't want for anything to ruin her friendship with Moko-chan. "If I do this, Moko-san, you…what will you do?"

There was a long drawn out silence and Kyoko pulled the phone towards her to be able to listen but the words were like daggers to her heart.

"I will hate you to the core," Kanae replied and Kyoko could tell that she was focusing on how she would portray that role and that character. "To the point that I will kill you myself."

"But-" Kyoko argued nervously, "But if you remain with that guy, you'll lose your life. For the sake of his dream, he'll easily cheat and sacrifice a girl. A completely selfish scum," she tried to explain feeling the connection to her own previous 'love life'.

"Even so," Kanae said in a slow manner, "I will still willingly use my life to love him, isn't that right?" she asked and Kyoko gave a hum as an affirmative answer, "In that case, there's no need for you to be nosy and butt in. Even if for the sake of that guy, I lose my life, I will still feel fortunate. I chose him."

Kyoko paled as she looked in horror before her. This type of hate? Kanae would really bear that type of hate to her? Kyoko couldn't forgive herself if that became the case. No. It was only a script, only some jerk's music video, it wasn't real. What was real was that she now knew how to play the character.

…..

…..

After finishing her conversation with Kanae, Kyoko felt a heavy weight on her shoulders and she mournfully moved towards the building with a number of different problems in her mind. On the good side, she had figured out her role and she knew how to perform with her strength, she could slay the devil. On the other hand, she had to pretend to be the angel who would lose her best friend by saving her best friend and just the thought of losing Kanae terrified Kyoko.

"Kyoko," Haruki asked as she approached her, "Are your emotions under control now?" she asked, "Are you confident this time around?" Kyoko paused, she felt the pain in her heart. No. When she linked her feelings with the angel, she wasn't confident because she was scared of Moko-chan hating her. She _was_ however confident in her acting ability.

"Yes," Kyoko nodded. She could see a darker world in which this was the world she would live in. She wouldn't have Moko there with her and she would hate her but it had to be done. The devil had to be killed.

"Really?" Haruki asked surprised. She was about to say more but Sho took this moment as time to step in front of Kyoko, he could see the girl tremble before him. "Hey," Sho said in his arrogant way as Kyoko managed to think of him as hurting Moko and not the one who had done so much hurt to herself, "Can you act better this time around?" he asked in his arrogant manner. Kyoko stood there silently, her eyes widening as she knew it was nearly time to complete this task.

Sho stared at her but Kyoko tried her best to ignore him. He wasn't important right now. He was only important because his character was the one whom she needed to kill.

"Hey, you," Sho said as he tried to wave his hand in front of her eyes to grab her connection. "Are you…" he asked and Kyoko managed to turn, walking with a purpose towards the acting set. This had suddenly started to be about far more than her and Shotaro, this was about there being a possibility where she wouldn't have Moko. Keeping Moko safe was more important than her revenge right now, she had to concentrate on that.

As Kyoko approached Mimori, she lifted her head up and instead of seeing the young girl who despised her, she could see her friend and it terrified her. She could envision saving Moko by hurting her. She was a truly precious friend and Kyoko didn't want to do anything to jeopardize their friendship.

 _I will hate you to the core to the point that I will kill you myself._

Kyoko fell to the floor as she heard Moko's words repeat in her head. They made her feel weak and sick and even imagining this scenario made Kyoko want to panic but she had to keep going. This was her job. Even in the scene, it was the love of friendship that the angel had as motivation for killing the devil. She treasured her friendship with Moko very deeply.

After Kyoko had thought about the pain that Kanae might be going through with the loss of her love, the devil's existence didn't upset her in the same way. Kyoko was fighting with the feelings. Was it worth unhappiness if you are living in bliss without perceiving that unhappiness? Should you kill your friend's lover in order to save her life. This was Kanae's beloved devil and Kyoko would do anything to keep Kanae happy.

As Kyoko saw Sho looking in her direction though, her strength built back up. She shouldn't be hallucinating because Shotaro wasn't even worthy of being friends with Kana let alone her lover. Kyoko tried to hit her head in order to come out of these delusions. She needed to act and not get lost in her imagination.

"It's ready," Haruki called out and Kyoko stood immediately, "Sho, everything is ready we can start now so please position yourselves."

Kyoko pushed herself up, she needed to keep her cool. There was no possible way for Shotaro to be Kanae's lover and Kyoko needed to slay the devil. That was her job and now it was time to accomplish it.

As Kyoko faced Sho, waiting for the sound of action to be called, she could only see him as someone she had to destroy in order to save Kanae. Doing it for herself wasn't important anymore, it was for Kanae."

"Action!" a voice called from down below and Kyoko looked ahead of her, looking absolutely beautiful but her face showing her confusion, her innocence, and her hands itching to choke him but only in the sense that she couldn't let Kanae die. That friendship was incredibly important to her.

 **End of Act 73**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you, Kaname671, for reviewing the last chapter**


	75. Act 74 - A Great Actress

**AN:** So it seems that my plan to update more often hasn't worked out for me. Over the past three chapters I've been receiving something like 130-170 hits per chapter and one review. I understand that not everyone who reads a chapter wants to review it but it does make me feel cheated by giving such quick updates so I've decided only to update when a certain review threshold has been met 😊 Sorry/Definitely not sorry.

 **Act 74 – A Great Actress**

As Kyoko reached for Shotaro's throat, she felt the tears prick her eyes. She had to think about how badly this would hurt Moko despite wanting to murder the prey in front of her. Her body turned rigid as she thought about how this might end their friendship and she took another step forward. To lose Moko would be the most painful thing to her, well equal to losing Corn's friendship. Still if it protected her, Kyoko would make that sacrifice. As her hands touched Shotaro's neck, she felt gravity take hold and she knocked him over.

She leaned over him, seeing through him. He wasn't Sho Fuwa right now, he was the demon who could cost Moko her life. As she bent over him, looking at him, she shivered and had the tears flowing from her eyes. She felt the grip on her heart, tugging at her. She had to do this. She had to complete this task.

She could see Shotaro's shocked expression as he looked at her and she pushed forwards, wanting him to fall to his death but not for her sake anymore. This was for her precious Moko. She had to protect Moko-chan with all her strength. She watched as he fell, her hands leaving his throat and felt herself reach for him but then the anger and darkness came into her heart.

As she put her hands to her eyes to catch her tears, she started to laugh. The idea of hurting the one Moko loved was gone. Now she had to find out what the consequences were. She had murdered someone and the guilt seemed to break something inside of her. She looked up from her hands with pure anger in her eyes. She felt the darkness inside of her. It wasn't as if she could turn back time to save him. She started to laugh as she fell into insanity.

…..

…

As Kyoko stood in front of Haruki, he froze, shivering as she listened to the director and her eyes still filled with tears. Maybe Kanae would really never forgive her. As she had said, this hadn't really been her business. Kyoko was still somewhat in a daze as the older woman faced her.

"Let's have it this way," Haruki announced, "So sorry to trouble everyone, let's do a retake. Kyoko, sorry but please do it again," she requested before taking a good look at the girl who hadn't stopped crying, her eyes wide with tears glistening in them. "What's wrong?"

Kyoko sniffed as everyone seemed to draw their attention to her now. She froze as she tried to brush away her tears. "Ah, so sorry," she tried to apologize. "This is embarrassing. We have finished filming, I was just unable to distance myself from the character's agony," she tried to explain and Haruki tilted her head to the side. This was much different from when they had done those first shots where she had seemed truly evil.

"Her agony? What is it?" Haruki asked in interest and Kyoko attempted to steady herself so she could act more professionally.

"Ah, it's…" Kyoko smiled as she looked forwards with her hands together. She felt the joy in the words she was about to say. "Now I have a very good friend I treasure a lot. If we were faced with the same situation as those angels, for her sake, if I kill that man whom she loves deeply, how will she treat me?" Kyoko shivered as the tears started to come again.

"I was thinking it over and over again," she said before turning to Haruki with the tears flowing freely once again, "and I finally got the answer, she'll hate me, she'll despise me, she will abandon me, cut off all ties, and I'll…I don't want that to happen," she bawled like a small child. "I don't want Kanae to die!" she screamed loudly as everyone looked at her, questioning her sanity, "but I don't want her to hate me either."

Haruki stood in front of her, trying to wave her hands to get Kyoko's attention. "Kyo—Kyoko," she struggled as the girl cried loudly. "This isn't real, please come back, stay calm," she said and Kyoko took deep breaths as she listened to that but the pain and loss was still within her. Haruki put her hand on Kyoko's and weakly smiled. "Ah, looks like we need to touch up on your makeup" she commented and Kyoko sniffed as she stared at her.

"Really?" she asked as her back straightened, "I came back to reality."

The way that Shotaro was leaning forwards, looking at her, made Kyoko have the impression that somehow he felt defeated by something, most likely her acting. He kept sneaking glances at her looking annoyed but that was just how his face was. Kyoko stared at Haruki as she seemed to come to her senses and her voice wasn't breaking any longer.

"Reshooting the scene again?" she asked confused, reacting to words that were said a number of minutes prior. "Officially taking the scene? So just now was only practice?" she asked and Haruki turned to her.

"Kyoko," Haruki replied with a patient tone, "Weren't you listening to me? We won't be reshooting everything, I've decided to use the previous scene," she said and Kyoko nodded slowly, "because I don't think you guys could produce such an expression again."

Kyoko's eyes widened as she stared at the successful woman, she opened her mouth feeling as if her acting skills were in question. Her hands were at her sides. She could do it. She could channel the same emotions and do it again. This was her job. She was equipped enough to be able to do her job.

"I am confident that I can produce the same expression again. I only have to imagine Kotonami-san hates me and I'll cry," she tried to explain and Haruki smiled softly to her. Kyoko felt a wash of respect being directed towards her but she was still telling the truth. She was confident in her own abilities.

"Yes," Haruki nodded, "but Sho isn't as knowledgeable as you about acting. He, himself, never thought that you would cry, so that's why he had such a panicked expression. With this retake, he'll be mentally prepared and the same expression won't happen again," Kyoko nodded as she continued to listen to the explanation. Haruki turned to her with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Kyoko, please don't misunderstand me. It's not that I don't trust your acting skills," Haruki paused with a smile and her arms folded, Kyoko looked up at her with hope. "Speaking of which, Kyoko you are just like a professional actress. Haven't you heard when top notch actors immerse themselves in a role, they'll be captured by the feelings of the character and lose themselves."

Kyoko's back straightened, her eyes widening. That was exactly what happened to her and this was one of her first major roles. She had invested her heart into her role and it was being acknowledged. Despite wanting to say that she could do as Ren would and that she could make the other actor follow her lead and get whatever expression she wanted from them, this praise was important to her as well. She had lost herself a little in the role because she was thinking about Moko. Did that mean she had the skills of a great actor starting to blossom already? She had been facing Shotaro but she hadn't released her demons.

"Unable to remove yourself from the role, still enmesh with the feelings of your character, isn't that just like a professional?" Haruki asked with a smile and Kyoko had to think about that. That definitely sounded like professional acting but Kyoko doubted that anyone would consider her a professional.

She didn't understand this type of compliment. She wasn't a great actor yet, she was just a beginner. She had not reached such a high level because she was only thinking of how Moko would hate her. It wasn't as if she was thinking of the role, she was using her own life and thinking of that. If she was a true actress then she would be thinking completely in character but she was using her own life and her own fears to create the emotions not getting into her role. Still, being praised like that felt amazing.

…

…

Haruki turned to the two young stars as they stood atop of the building, she tried to call out to them. "Okay! We'll start from the point when Kyoko's hands leave Sho's neck!" she announced, "Sho!" she called as she turned in his direction. "Remember to close your eyes!"

"So irritating!" Sho yelled at them and Kyoko could feel his insecurity and she knew that she had won over him. "Stop repeating it!" Sho yelled out, "I'm not an idiot!" Kyoko laughed with an evil smile and laughed bitterly, Sho pulled back in shock.

Kyoko knew that he was suspicious of her and that taste was delicious in her mouth. His shocked and panicked facial expressions were the treats that she was hungering for. She took a step forwards, speaking in a mocking tone. "Sho, please, we have to meet the goal this time," she said before giving him a challenging look in her eyes. "Moreover, learn acting," she said and Sho stared at her in horror.

He wasn't an actor and she was expecting things from him and using his own words against him. Kyoko laughed. This was seriously pissing her off.

…

…..

Kyoko grinned as she looked in the mirror, now with the makeup and costume removed but the happiness still within her heart.

"This is what I heard from others, when top notch actors immerse themselves in a role, they'll be captured by feelings of the character and lose themselves."

"Huh! Really, that's amazing!" she spoke in reply to herself in the one-person conversation,

"and I experienced such a phenomenon today. Although that jerk was my partner in acting but my dark side didn't surface at all."

"That's great! It's really great, Kyoko-san! Your acting skills have definitely improved."

"I think so too."

"Kyoko-san, congratulations, who do you want to tell such joyous news to?"

"Hmm, this of course I'll tell the very good friend who is so concerned about me. Other than that, I will tell the person who absolutely cannot know I took part in Sho's music video. My extremely respected senior."

Kyoko grinned as she zipped up her Love Me uniform and she smiled happily. She had caught up to Ren just a little bit today and more than that, she had felt the joy of acting. She wanted to share that feeling with him. She wanted to see him smile and hear him praise her. Hearing Ren praise her would be more important than hearing anyone else praise her who already had. She wanted to see him. Still, he couldn't know about this because she didn't want to lose his trust. She just needed to focus on this rare happiness that she held within her.

She really didn't want to think of revenge or have him think this was all for revenge. She wanted to experience this joy and happiness. _That_ was what was most important to her.

 **End of Act 74**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews would be appreciated**

 **Thank you for reviewing Act 73**

 **Kaname671:** Yeah, as much as I dislike Kanae, she does have her moments. I do find her a very annoying character though. I kind of wish bad things would happen to her but that might just be me being extra mean. Well thank you for being the sole reviewer even after 154 views 😊


	76. Act 75 - You Die or I Die Enemy

**AN:** I meant to update this sooner but I've had a lot of drama in my life to take care of recently and this wasn't a high priority for me to be honest. If you have a problem with it not being a high priority, you need to reevaluate your life.

 **Act 75 – You Die or I Die Enemy**

Ren paused as he looked at his phone after he had finished shooting. It wasn't unusual for people to text him but he wouldn't get that many calls that weren't going through Yashiro first. It had to be something unimportant like celebrity gossip which he had no interest in listening to. Usually Ren would put work first but the fact that someone had called him interested him.

He looked at the phone carefully. There was a new voice message on it. Again, he would usually wait until after work to do this and not whilst he was on a break from his set but someone had called him and he wanted to know who. He smiled as he saw her number there and beamed. So, for some reason or another, she _had_ called for him. He didn't know what it meant but he wished he could have answered the phone the moment that it had rung.

She was always so respectful and she knew he was most likely working but this meant that she was reaching out for _him_ , that she wanted to depend on _him_. That wasn't like her. She knew he wanted to keep their relationship private but then again he was happy that she had called him. He eagerly went onto his voice mail and listened to it before hearing her panic.

What was going on with her? What had she gotten herself involved with this time?

Despite his listening to voice messages and wanting to call people back whilst he was at work was new to him, _she_ was worth the exception. He smiled peacefully. He should be rushing to the new filming ground but in his mind, she came first. He closed his eyes, listening to her voice, wanting her to be there in front of him.

"It's Kyoko!" the voicemail played, "You must be working hard now. So sorry to disturb you in the midst of your work! I suddenly called you because I need your help with something, actually…" Ren froze as the message went silent. There was a long pause and he held the phone closer to his ear in case he couldn't quite hear her. She needed his help and he was more than willing to give it to her but she had stopped speaking and gone silent. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to help her. She sounded as if she was hard at work at some project but then would you ask someone for help only to…go silent?

Ren's eyes widened as he heard the sound of the message ending. So it had cut off without her saying anything? She hadn't even addressed the issue at hand so he wasn't sure how to help her. He did know that he wanted to hear her voice, he wanted to hear her say that she was okay and either she had resolved the problem or it had worked its way out alone.

He didn't care if this was the first time he was prioritizing a phone call over work. She was different. She was someone he might sacrifice nearly anything over. He had known her since they were children and she was the most important part of his childhood which he would prefer not to remember. He would always want to remember those days they spent together though.

Ren could hear the constant ringing of the phone and the fact that it didn't seem a voice mail inbox was set up. It was troubling for him. He had gotten her that cell phone for a reason and he would have to double check it and make sure that it was all set up. He didn't want her calling and reaching out for him with no way to help her.

He definitely needed to get into contact with the young woman he cared about above all others.

…

…..

As Kyoko passed by Sho's dressing room, she saw him holding a blushing Midori in his arms as she seemed to melt with pleasure at just his touch. Shotaro had never touched her in such a way and she would remember it clearly if he used those types of words to her, those romantic words. She continued to stare at the, as she passed by and her eyes went to Midori for a moment and then she continued to stare at Shotaro.

"That gave me a shock," she stated as a fainted Midori was rushed out of the room, "I never knew you had this in you and it seemed as if you're very good at it." Sho blinked confused and Kyoko realized that he had no idea of what she was talking about. "The ability to stop a girl crying in minutes. It seems that your gentleness only has a price to me."

Sho's eyes widened as Kyoko glared at him. So what if she was attacking him. He needed to know how hurtful the way he usually acted was. She continued to stare at him in an annoyed way and Sho blinked.

"You…are you referring to when we were young?" he asked and Kyoko continued to look bored by his responses.

"Yup, that's right," she nodded, "You always had that dumb look when you were watching the cowardly me cry," she told him and Sho seemed to flinch. Kyoko knew that she was right and she had somehow gotten under his skin with that one. She was surprised that he actually cared at all about her words and how he had made her feel.

Sho leaned forwards, "It's not that I only know how to stand by and watch stupidly," he attempted to argue and Kyoko was surprised that there appeared to be passion in his voice, some desire for her to believe in her but why would he care so much about her now when he had cared so little before. Sho turned away and Kyoko suspected that it was because he didn't want to show any weakness in front of her.

"I knew that," Kyoko replied and Sho looked at her again, "So naturally, I never cried in front of you again because I didn't want to make things hard for you." Kyoko smiled as she gazed off into the distance remembering when she had met Corn who was now Kuon who was now Ren. He had allowed her to cry. He had been silly with her. He had let her speak. He would always listen to her, even now she was sure that if he hadn't been working, he would have listened to her during that phone call.

Corn was an important memory to her but he wasn't just a memory to her anymore. He was a person, a physical person whom she could reach out and touch. Maybe he couldn't fly in the sky like a fairy could but his career was soaring. She just needed to be in his life and she needed him in hers. He was that important to her.

"So this means that during the instances when you were missing, you actually went somewhere else to cry?" Sho asked as he distracted Kyoko from her memories. Kyoko's eyes widened and she stared at him. He had no idea of what treasures she had in life and he was bringing her out of thinking about her memories.

"Get lost!" Kyoko barked at him, "My beautiful memories, don't intrude."

Sho gave her a confused look as if she had hit her head, "Beautiful memories?" he asked her confused and Kyoko stared at him. She didn't need for him to know about Corn and he most definitely didn't need to know about where Corn was now or what he was doing. Kyoko didn't care about Shotaro but she secretly adored Kuon.

"It doesn't mean anything!" Kyoko responded quickly, "It's none of your business! Stop following me please! So disgusting!" Kyoko commented and Sho's eyes widened.

"Disgusting!" he yelled out and Kyoko nodded, "Eh?" he stared at her, he hadn't been called that before and he hated it. He didn't want her to trash his image and that's what he felt was happening. "The disgusting one is you! The one who wears such tasteless uniforms," he said and he stared at her angrily, the emotion almost radiating out of him.

"At first I thought you were some stranger and so I held back and didn't say anything," Sho continued before showing how truly frustrated he was because of her, "but since I know you, I can be frank and tell you what I truly think! You…the uniform is ugly! Be it for an artiste or any human being! You really have no taste!"

Kyoko flinched at this, pulling back. It wasn't as if she had designed this outfit herself, she wouldn't be caught dead in this color and she hated that she agreed with Sho. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, she didn't want to hear this from him especially since she agreed with it herself.

"What!" she barked back, "As the worst human being ever, you have no right to criticize me!" she told him, "This is what the company told me to wear! And you also have no right to say that I have no taste!" Kyoko looked at him with a superior glint in her eyes that seemed to challenge him. "I will announce to the whole world your real name is Fuwa Sho-"

Shotaro firmly covered Kyoko's mouth with his hand and Kyoko couldn't speak, all sound was blocked and this was because he really would carry this secret with him to the grave or at least the grave of show business.

"If you dare tell anyone," he threatened her with a dark shadow looming behind him similar to that she had felt before from Ren, "I will let out that secret when you gain the slightest bit of reputation. I'll say that your name Kyoko, came because your suggested names like "Princess Cindy" and "Princess Rose" were rejected by you company and they couldn't take it. So, that's what I'll say."

Kyoko twitched as she knew that he would do it and she also knew how that would harm her popularity when she started to get that type of reputation. She stared at him, pulling back from the disgusting hand which covered her mouth.

"How did you know?" she asked with a little twitch, "Were you peeping?"

Sho lifted his chin, staring at her in disbelief, "What? So that was really true? Oh, god. You really have no shame. This is great, I'll be sure to publicize this matter."

Kyoko's eyes widened, so he had gambled on that fact and he hadn't known for sure and she had fallen straight into his trap. She shook with anger as she stared at him, "You!" she yelled. "So you were just guessing, you cowardly cunning man."

Sho laughed as he tried to run from her in order to 'spread the news' "And you are dumb enough to fall for it!" Sho told her and Kyoko grabbed his arm. She didn't want people to know that, it would definitely shake her image even if people didn't yet know who she was.

Haruki looked at them, staring at the weird way they were acting which neither one of them had known until she had spoken, "Are you guys still going out?" she asked and both of them stopped, looking at her with horror.

"I'm not going out with him! Not even once! Why is it still?" Kyoko asked as she looked mortified by the question,

"Just one look and you'll know we're only arguing," Sho said as he turned to a professional stance, he looked annoyed but he wasn't letting that type of bad attitude affect his profession and Kyoko could see it from the way he stood and spoke.

They both pointed to one another and said in unison, "More importantly, to me this idiot is…"

"An 'either you die or I die' enemy," Sho continued passionately as Kyoko could hear her phone. She grabbed for it, ignoring Shotaro's words. Someone was calling her. Someone was considering her important enough to call. Something inside of her was asking if it was really _him_.

 **End of Act 75**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 74**

Brennakai, Kaname671, LadyIdris, luv2readgirl, OnikoKuroshio


	77. Act 76 - For My PV

**Act 76 – For My PV**

Kyoko held tight to the phone, ignoring whatever words Shotaro was saying. "Yes?" she asked happily but tried to hide that sort of expression from Shotaro as her cheeks warmed.

"You've finally picked up this time," Ren sighed and Kyoko blinked before remembering that that she had been caught at such a surprise by Moko calling her that she hadn't explained herself to Ren. He had cared about her so much and yet she had forgotten to clear things up with him. She didn't know how to explain that her fear of talking to him was because of Shotaro. Hopefully that didn't need to be part of the explanation.

"It's me," Ren said but Kyoko already knew that. "Good evening," he said in his pleasant voice and Kyoko felt herself feeling safer and happier in just hearing the words said by him. She smiled as she turned her back on Shotaro, forgetting momentarily about her situation. "Is now a convenient time?" he asked.

Kyoko smiled and closed her eyes, whispering the name as she put a hand to her heart. "Tsuruga-san," she breathed out and heard him chuckle a little at the sound of his name in her voice. She blushed again, not aware that now Shotaro had turned to look at her. All that mattered was that Ren had called her.

Kyoko spoke slowly, her voice showing her warmth. "I'm fine," she told him honestly, "but, i-i-is anything wrong?" she asked as she started to remember that she was near Shotaro and she didn't want for him to interfere with her precious relationship.

"Anything wrong?" Ren sighed but chuckled again, "I should be the one asking you that question. You left a voice message?" Kyoko had the voice message that she had left replay in her head and she was thinking about the words that it ended on. Of course he was upset. She hadn't made any sense and he had already done so much for her and given her so much. "A message that doesn't make sense," he told her, half scolding her and half making fun of her however Kyoko felt guilty. He had taken time to talk to her and she might have pulled him away from his precious work.

Kyoko felt that she should have called him back immediately. He was busy with the work which he had sacrificed so much for. She had been an inconvenience to him. Yes, he had spent a long time lying to her about his fairy history but he had also taken her in when she felt completely abandoned. She should be trying to make him feel better, not worse.

Kyoko looked over at Shotaro briefly. The worst thing that could happen was if Ren found out what type of job she had really been doing that day and especially _who_ she had been working with. There was something about Sho that Ren truly didn't like. He wasn't fond of her plot for revenge but could he be jealous as well. No, she was flattering herself. He wasn't jealous of her.

"Ah this…I'm really sorry," she apologized as she turned away from Shotaro again, "Don't take it to heart," she said in a frenzy, "everything is fine now," she tried to reassure him and Ren continued in his concerned manner.

"Fine?" he asked in a calm but concerned manner, "But didn't you call me during your work assignment and knowing how hard a worker you are it must have been something important, right?"

Kyoko paused and bowed her head with a smile. He really did know her and her work ethics. It was incredibly really that he could understand what was happening through her scrambled messages. Then again, he was always so considerate towards her. Their friendship mattered a lot to him and it did to her as well. She knew that she wouldn't be able to approach the idea of falling in love with him but he was her treasured and precious Corn and Corn had tried to use his fairy magic again to help her find and secure happiness.

He had returned her calls proving that the friendship mattered to him as well. She smiled. Did a simple phone call mean this much to him or was she being prideful and self-involved. No, this wasn't the only time he had returned her calls. He had phoned her before and she hadn't answered but instead of being disappointed with her, he had continued trying to get through to her. Nobody but Corn had tried to make her so happy. Even Moko hadn't gone to the extent that he had for her.

Kyoko paused as she thought about how he could use his magic even as a human. He was incredible and she was in such awe of him.

"Hello? Mogami-san, are you listening?" he asked and Kyoko panicked again. She hadn't answered because she had been floating off to her fantasy world. "What happened?" he asked and Kyoko thought about all of the time she had spent alone as a child. If only Corn had been able to stay. Would he have become one person who wasn't disillusioned with her. Everyone had grown tired of her but Corn still remembered their happiness together.

"Ah, because today's work," Kyoko said as she closed her eyes, attempting to bask in his caring for her, his support, "resulted in something good so I wanted to tell you," she said as she tried to reciprocate the good feelings he had to her.

"Huh, what is it?" Ren asked and Kyoko could imagine him smiling and telling her how proud of her he was. She wanted him to be proud of her. She didn't want him to turn out like everyone else who had such hate and dislike towards her. She blushed again. He really loved her…as friend. Maybe she wanted close female friends and Moko-chan fit that image more ideally but maybe Ren was offering her something Kanae couldn't.

"Actually," she said with a grin, "I've done another great work that will raise my name up a notch, so I am very happy!" she said and she could picture Ren's smile growing. She wanted to do so many things to impress him and keep his belief in her alive.

Kyoko was about to say more but Shotaro had stolen her phone away from her and now _his_ voice was the one that Ren was hearing.

"Because she took part in my promotional video. That is the good news for today," Sho told him and Kyoko looked horrified especially as Sho hung up the phone. Kyoko's eyes widened. She didn't want to lose her friendship with Corn, her most important friendship. She couldn't believe that Shotaro had just done that. Didn't he see how special Corn was to her. She felt as if hell was coming to ger her and her entire body turned cold as she snatched the phone back.

Was this enough to make their friendship crumble and for him to no longer like her? No. She needed to have him as her friend to feel alive. She never wanted to see a cold look appear on his face. No. She wanted to make Corn happy not this…she had no idea how he felt on the other end of the line. She wanted to hug him and tell him it was an accident and make him understand but that was taken away from her.

"What the hell did you just do!?" she snapped as she held to her phone tightly. She looked at Sho with a furious expression. He didn't just do that, right!? He didn't make everything crumble down to dust, did he? And to be hung up on. She didn't want to imagine what emotion Ren had on his face right now. "What is the meaning of this!? She demanded only to be met by a very cold and controlling expression on Sho's face.

"What are you panicking about?" Sho asked in a controlling manner and Kyoko continued to stare at him in horror, "The 'Tsuruga' you were speaking to, is it Tsuruga Ren?" he asked and Kyoko's mouth opened and she had a fire burning in her eyes. She wanted to protect her friendship with Ren.

"Of course it's that Tsuruga Ren!" she barked back angrily, "He's my senior at the company!" she said and Sho looked at her. He was still angry but he was acting as if victory was his. Kyoko could see it on the smug expression and the way he was basking in her anger.

"Oh, so because he's your senior, Tsuruga Ren has to call a newbie like you? You really are something. Never thought that Tsuruga Ren would be so free," he said with a judgmental expression that Kyoko desperately wanted to smack off his face.

"It's not like that!" she yelled but then realized that they were trying to keep their friendship secret, Shotaro would use something like that as a weapon especially if he knew that Ren wanted to keep it private. Kyoko knew that that wasn't enough information in order for his true name to be known but she needed to keep his secret as confidential as possible. "His business will shock people to death!"

That was true and he had taken the time to phone her. She knew that meant that he considered her a true and precious friend as well and she didn't want to lose that. Kyoko felt the black aura swarm around her as the risk of losing that friendship consumed her heart. Ren was worried about her? He had such care and concern for her, the likes of which Shotaro didn't have

"What's this?" Sho said as he took a step backwards, "You don't have to use this expression of murderous intent," he said slowly but Kyoko still couldn't control the anger in her heart. Shotaro might have wrecked something precious to her and distorted it. "You don't have to use this expression of murderous intent. Didn't you hate Tsuruga Ren?" he asked and Kyoko's eyes narrowed. Hate? Maybe she had been annoyed by his lies but she had never hated him and she wanted to forget her emotions before she had learned the truth of his identity.

Kyoko pushed forwards with all her anger. She hated him. She hated him for almost destroying things with Corn! She felt her demons swarm around him. She didn't want to lose him. He was far too precious for her to lose!

 **End of Act 76**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **AN:** Recently I've had a number of plot holes in this fic so thank you for bearing with me. Also sorry if I ever make a typo on your name, it is unintentional

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 75**

Brennakai, Kaname671, LadyIdis, Lita of Jupiter,


	78. Act 77 -Feelings of Jealousy and Revenge

**Act 77 – Feelings of Jealousy and Revenge**

Yashiro watched Ren as they sat together in a restaurant after a long day of filming. Ren knew that he didn't want for Kyoko to be seen in the public eye until she had her strength but it bothered him. He knew her intentions already and he knew who had spoken to him on the phone. He saw Yashiro's steady gaze as he tried to sort through his feelings for Kyoko and come up with the right emotions he had towards the girl.

"Ren?" Yashiro asked as Ren seemed to sit there like a zombie. The stiffness being the result of the complications of his emotions when Kyoko was involved. "Have you finished? Are you full? You didn't really touch your food, I won't allow you to do this."

Ren paused. It wasn't really the food but he wasn't sure who could overhear the conversation. It was risky to show such emotions on his face when it could have easily been picked up by somebody else. "A-Ah," Ren smiled as he lifted his head. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about some stuff, that's all."

Yashiro looked at him and leaned forwards, "Huh? Some stuff? What stuff?" he asked and Ren looked to the side. He didn't know how to explain these feelings. He didn't even want to reflect on them himself. Instead of replying, Ren lifted his head and smiled strongly. Yashiro blinked watching him.

"That I can't tell you," he said and Yashiro looked at him looking bored. Of course, Ren would hide everything behind that false smile and not give any feelings out. That was what Ren had trained himself to do. It was what Kuon had trained Ren to do.

As much as Ren wanted to deny it, the voice on the other end of the phone call had been undeniable. It was Fuwa. Fuwa who had hurt Kyoko so badly and yet she had returned to him. He didn't want to imagine that she had fallen under Fuwa's spell but then he wasn't ready to be with her himself. He couldn't keep her captive but he didn't want her heart to be filled with anger and want for revenge. He wanted her happy. She deserved a happy life.

Was Fuwa Sho going to invade every part of her life and distribute more poison. Was he going to hurt her? What choices did Ren have, he wasn't her boyfriend but hopefully their friendship carried some weight. He'd have to try.

…

…

A few days later, Kyoko was walking through LME when she spot him. He was just standing there looking as gorgeous as ever. She blushed a little but then froze, none of her calls had been returned or had gone through when she attempted to apologize to him. She didn't want for him to have the wrong idea. Still, the button-up that he was wearing with the casual pants and black tee really made her heart stop in her chest. Why was she falling for him so badly?

She blinked and was able to see the blond hair and emerald eyes. Still, she was a little nervous to approach him. Did he hate her after he had found out what she had done? Was he going to tell her that he no longer wanted to be friends with her? She didn't want that. She saw him turn from where he stood with Yashiro and his long legs carried him over to her.

Without meaning to, Kyoko screamed and dropped onto the ground in a dogeza. Ren's eyes widened as she seemed to draw attention from all areas of the building. Ren's eyes widened and he looked to Yashiro nervously before putting his hand on her shoulder.

"May we talk?" he asked with a weak laugh and Kyoko believed that she was imagining it. Kyoko looked up at him and saw that he was smiling, his eyes were also showing concern for her. She shivered and nodded as he blinked but then gestured for her to follow him to a more secluded area.

"I'm sorry about that time," she said as they stood by a window and Kyoko found it hard to look into his eyes. She didn't want to see any anger in them. "That phone call," she said and Ren sighed, he bowed his head.

"That guy was the one being rude and childish, not you," Ren said but Kyoko could read that there were some deeper emotions behind that weak smile. She could see that in his eyes he was holding back. She didn't want to imagine that he was angry. "There's no need to take it to heart," he said as he put a hand on her cheek and then immediately removed it, second guessing the action but Kyoko raised her hand and slipped it onto her cheek where he had just been touching her.

"I'm not angry…" he said but Kyoko could tell that he was lying about that. Maybe it wasn't a demonic rage but he was still upset over what had happened and it must be because of his love and appreciation of the acting world. He had such a radiant smile that it scared her. He was hiding something that he didn't want her to know about.

"So, you and him," Ren said as Kyoko could see more concern and even possibly some jealousy in his expression. "is your work coming along smoothly?" he asked with his smile still glued to his face. Of course he was angry at him and disappointed in her that she had gone and acted so foolishly. She was mocking his position in the industry by doing things out of revenge and she knew that he hated that. She didn't want to disappoint him and that was why she hadn't told him about what she was doing.

"Or," Ren said and Kyoko could see that the weak smile was gone and he was looking at her in a casual way with his shoulders slumped but a glimmer of sadness in his eyes, "did you go to ruin it?" Kyoko felt her breath caught in her chest and Ren turned from her, turning instead to look out the window, a sad kind of gloom surrounding him. His disappointment?

"With a mind full of vengeance, you joined the filming of a PV, right? Sho Fuwa's PV."

Kyoko could tell that he didn't want to look at her. She felt that she had shamed him but it was worse than that. Was he actually depressed because of the choices she had made? He knew the truth and somehow it appeared that he was rejecting her because he disapproved of her decision. He could read her heart and maybe he didn't want to continue their friendship.

Kyoko took a deep inhale and saw his annoyed expression in the reflection of the window. He was judging her. He knew everything and he was waiting for her to admit to it. She bowed her head solemnly. She felt a few tears in her eyes and saw him shift uncomfortably. "I'm sorry," she whispered and he turned to her but only so that he could look at her, he wasn't facing her straight on anymore.

"You knew everything," Kyoko said and Ren nodded.

"He told me all about it, you remember?" he asked. "I've encountered him before so I recognize his voice. He challenged me," he told her and Kyoko stared at him with a shocked expression. She thought he had said something like that in the past but she had been hoping that he hadn't recognized Shotaro's voice. The fact that he knew everything which was going on made this even more painful. She didn't want to lose either Corn's trust in her or his friendship.

"Then…afterwards," Ren said in a pained voice, "Did you get your revenge successfully?" he asked and Kyoko looked at him, her eyes filled with the tears but she just wanted to prove to him that she wasn't the person he seemed to be imagining her to be.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again and he sighed. "I…in the beginning it's true that I only thought about revenge," she admitted and Ren nodded, listening to her. At least he was giving her a chance. "I didn't want you to know that it was because of revenge. I know how much you love acting. I didn't want you to know that I thought about using acting as a tool when you've given up so much for it."

Ren looked at her stunned. So, she had been considering more than his feelings as a man towards a woman, she had been thinking about all of the things which he had denied himself. Yes, he didn't like her motivation but she was young. She was a teenager and he had no place to judge people for their mistakes as a teenager. She was even honestly admitting this to him. He smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry," he apologized and Kyoko stared at him confused over why he was apologizing to her. Unless… was he going to end their friendship right there? Was her admission to these facts the breaking point for them. She had only recently forgiven him for lying to her. "I didn't mean to give you such a harsh view of me," he said and Kyoko's jaw dropped as she wanted to protest. "It's true. I don't like that you're spending so much time thinking about revenge but since you were able to complete the video, it must have gone well."

Kyoko stood still, fidgeting a little. "Yeah, I think it went well," she said and Ren smiled.

"I'd like to see it," he said and Kyoko's eyes widened, she opened her mouth to argue but then saw that godly smile that Ren had over his face. She always had trouble arguing and disagreeing with him when he smiled like that. "Will you get me a copy to watch when it's finished?"

"It's going to have Fuwa in it," Kyoko said and Ren laughed before continuing to smile.

"But it'll also have you in it. I'd love to see your work," he told her before sighing and pulled out a cloth from his pocket. Was there something inside of it? Kyoko tilted her head to try to see what he was holding. Was it medicine? Did he have another cold where he needed medicine? He turned to her and held out the item and Kyoko's eyes widened as she stared at Corn, the stone he had given her so long ago. She had thought that it would be lost forever.

"You had it?" she asked before taking it in her hand, holding it safely. She closed her hand held it to her heart. "Thank you. Thank you," she said energetically. "I can't believe you had it."

"I thought you had thrown it away because you hated me," he told her and Kyoko quickly shook her head. She was surprised when Ren pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. She suddenly felt precious and treasured.

"Promise me that you'll think twice about your acts of revenge in the future?" he asked her and Kyoko nodded. She sighed, closing her eyes and just relaxed in his warmth. "I'm sorry," Ren said after he had held her for some time, "I have to get back to work."

"Work hard," Kyoko said with another bow and Ren nodded, he looked at her one last time before leaving. Kyoko smiled. He understood. Of course Corn would understand.

 **End of Act 77**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Act 76**

Jeremy VD, Kaname671, Lita of Jupiter


	79. Act 78 - A Good Friend

**Act 78 – A Good Friend**

Kyoko sighed as she looked at the office work in front of her. Despite having feelings already growing for Ren, she still couldn't understand love at all and her appreciation for Kuon didn't automatically translate into an appreciation for any of those sappy and misguided feelings. She bowed her head as she looked at the amount of paperwork and started to daze off only to come to the realization that she would have to complete the work. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes.

As soon as her eyes closed, she heard a scream of horror and opened them to see Maria standing there in front of her. The little girl was shivering as she watched her as If Kyoko had become the monster out of a classic horror film. "Onee-san," Maria said in a weak voice and Kyoko blinked confused to her reaction.

Maria was shivering and taking a few shaky steps away from Kyoko when Kyoko finally engaged in conversation. "Oh, Maria," she said with a smile, "What are you doing?" she asked before blinking nervously. "Why do you have such a horrified expression?"

The little girl put her hands to her cheeks looking even more horrified as she seemed to shake her head with terror. Kyoko had no idea for what reason she was giving such a response. Had something terrible happened? "Onee-san just now," she said with tears in her eyes. "Just now you did something that can never be made up for!" she announced.

Kyoko leaned forward, looking at the young girl with a blank expression. Had she heard about Ren's anger, had he actually been blabbing about her and that's why Maria was upset. No. As much as Maria loved Ren, Ren wasn't going to go around telling the whole world that she was in Shotaro's music video. Kyoko was worrying too much about truly trivial affairs. "Huh? What?" she asked and Maria's fear seemed to grow in her expression.

"You don't know, Onee-san?" she asked and Kyoko laughed weakly. "In this world, every time you sigh, you lose a bit of happiness and fortune! Onee-san, you're already such an unlucky girl! How can you watch what's left of your happiness and fortune to slowly drift away!" she accused her and Kyoko gave another weak laugh, despite her love for the occult, Maria really was too innocent.

"Geez, Maria," Kyoko said in a casual manner. "You're so superstitious," she said as she started to put away all of the books and papers. "Actually, it doesn't matter if you sigh or not. If happiness and fortune decides to ditch you, it will. And the escape of one will act as a lock effect." Maria put her hands to her open mouth and started shaking. Kyoko looked to her, she would have to hear the truth at some point, wouldn't she?

Kyoko really didn't want Maria to suffer in the way that she had with Shotaro. She had had lot happiness from her childhood when she had believed that she was young and carefree when she had just been a naïve young girl. In fact, up until a number of months ago had she still been naïve and carefree. Fortunately, Kuon had forgiven her for making a mistake for being stupid and for having fate side against her. He had understood and she was fortunate for that one thing because maybe another person wouldn't have been so understanding.

Kyoko wanted to go back to taking on cases that had nothing to do with Shotaro. She wanted to impress Ren and make him never consider the idea of her being an angry little girl with a mind filled with the desire for revenge. She mostly didn't want for her to see her drifting backwards especially now that Corn was back in her possession.

Kyoko sighed and Maria tilted her head to the side, "Onee-san?" she asked with an innocent look on her face, "Is something bothering you?" Kyoko blinked as she looked up at her, she wasn't sure how to answer that. Yes, she had resolved the problem with Ren but there were many more layers to it and she wasn't able to explain all of that without revealing some important facts. She would just have to learn to eliminate all chance of running into Shotaro again in her life.

"Being alone and angry isn't good," Maria continued as she opened up her bag and started taking some strange items out of it, "Why don't you use magic to get rid of your problems?" Maria lifted up two of her items to show Kyoko, "Which kind is better?" she asked, "I'll chant the curses with you."

Kyoko smiled uneasily. Although she respected the fact that Maria had protected her heart against those stupid and foolish feelings of a misunderstood love, she didn't know whether encouraging her to use voodoo was best. It was one of those strange things which they had shared together but should she be acting as a good role model and what even was a good role model?

"Thank you," Kyoko smiled honestly, "But I'm fine. You're such a nice kid."

Kyoko packed up all the boxes of paperwork and put them on a cart, Maria closed her bag and jumped up to join her. As they walked along, Maria approached Kyoko and blinked, studying her until Kyoko slowed down a little. "Onee-san, that reminds me," Maria began and Kyoko tilted her head to the side.

"What?" she asked and Maria hummed.

"I haven't seen Kotonami-san today, is she okay?" Maria asked and Kyoko laughed. That was one topic that she really did love talking about. She liked thinking about her best friend and pretending that they had a closeness like sisters. She would never be disheartened talking about Moko.

"She has to film a drama today," Kyoko replied confidently.

"Really?" Maria gasped, "They've started filming already?"

Kyoko nodded eagerly, "Yeah. She can finally become the actress she always wanted to be," she replied before sighing. That was what Kanae had told her but there was something that felt a little odd about the conversation which the two of them had had. Kanae's tone wasn't very happy and then after that she hadn't really mentioned anything to do with the filming and Kyoko had gone ahead and told her all the details from her shoot. That didn't make her feel good at all. Friends were supposed to reciprocate, it was a give and take relationship after all. This was also Kanae's first proper job as an actress. Why wasn't she sharing any details about it?

Still, it felt incredibly saddening that she could share everything in her life with Kanae and she always felt so happy and refreshed when she did so. More than that, seeing Kanae happy would make her feel better even if she wasn't the one to create that happiness for her. It made Kyoko feel sad to imagine being locked out of another person's heart. Kyoko attempted to stop the sadness from showing on her face. She didn't want to be a burden to Moko-chan or anyone else.

"Ah," Maria said with an eager smile, "Oh yeah! Onee-san, can we have a congratulations party?" she asked eagerly and Kyoko looked at her in surprise. What was she referring to? "A celebration for Kotonami-san," she suggested and Kyoko blinked, her face lighting up as she thought about the idea of doing something special for her treasured friend. She watched Maria, still a little unsure of what the little girl was suggesting but it she could do something that would make Moko smile then she wanted to do it.

"A celebration for Kotonami-san," Maria suggested, "To congratulate her for becoming an actress."

Kyoko felt a light in her heart that was showing itself through her facial expression. She wanted to give Moko-chan the best congratulations possible and prove to her that despite not a romantic love, Moko-chan did have love and support through Kyoko. Doing something special for Kanae was a definite way to prove to her how meaningful her existence was.

There were many ways in which they could celebrate and these fit into Kyoko's vision of the perfect friendship between two girls. They could dance together. She could give Moko a toast. She could pick out a present ideal for Moko. There could be all kinds of flowers and decorations and desserts there. Most of all a celebration meant that they could spend more time together. Yes. A celebration was a perfect idea. Kyoko hugged Maria happily, she was so excited because this meant that only good friends could initiate such an event and she wanted to prove to be the best friend possible.

"That's such a brilliant suggestion, Maria!" Kyoko exclaimed as she hugged the little girl tightly. "You really are a smart child!" she said. Her energy was completely revived and she had something to do, something to celebrate someone who meant so much to her already. This was a chance of improving their friendship score as well.

Kyoko laughed happily with a smile across her face, she tilted her head as she turned to Maria, "So, for such a celebration we need to buy gifts, right?" she asked and Maria nodded with her own laugh.

"You're right. Preferably it's something she likes and always wanted," Maria suggested and Kyoko nodded in agreement.

"You're right," she said with a lot of excitement in her voice but she paused, her mind starting to race. It then dawned upon her that she didn't know what that meant. What did she like? What did she want? There were so many problems with this. There were so many things she hadn't taken into consideration. If she got the wrong gift did that mean that she would lose friendship points. How could she find out what Moko wanted. She never seemed to want anything other than to be an actress and it wasn't as if Kyoko was a director or anyone who could secure a job for her.

Since Kyoko didn't know things like her birthday or her blood type or her family was she even able to be a friend. She felt that she was defeated. She cared about her so much and yet there was so much she didn't know. Kyoko felt her defeat for a long time before she lifted her head. "No, it's all right." Kyoko stood up and smiled. She would have to learn this information on her own. Nobody would have to know how bad of a friend she was. She could tail Kanae like a female officer of the CIA and find out everything about her.

The information which Kyoko needed to collect included her address and for that she needed to sneak a peek at the records. After that she could check out other things that she still didn't know. Soon she would have volumes of knowledge about Kanae and her likes and dislikes. Kyoko would become the ultimate scholar on Kanae Kotonami.

Nobody would dare to call Kyoko a bad friend after she managed to complete her plan.

 **End of Act 78**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 77

Brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671, Lita of Jupiter


	80. Act 79 - Good Friends Tell

**Act 79 – Good Friends Tell**

As Kyoko and Maria giggled and had fun, neither of them had been expecting to feel a sudden gloom filling the energy coming from a body so lifeless, it would give a new definition to zombie. It was haunting and the air was becoming rather chill because of it . Kyoko and Maria shared a look before they both turned in the area of where the ghost had gone.

"Um…" Kyoko said quietly as she shifted nervously, "What was that just now?"

She and Maria turned so that they could watch Kanae slowly make her way throughout the agency in a very depressed fashion. She was without the joy and life that Kyoko had been expecting and maybe it would take more than a party to make her feel better. "Could that be Kotonami-san?" Kyoko asked as she continued to focus on her.

Maria paled, her voice quiet, "I thought it was a ghost," she commented and Kyoko frowned.

"What happened?" the sixteen-year old asked as she saw the way Kanae's shoulders were slumped, her chin down, her hair seeming to place weight upon her. "It's as if she lost her will to live."

"It doesn't seem like a person that wants to follow her dreams," Maria commented with a shake of her head and Kyoko sighed. It didn't seem to be but that was what was making this so odd because not once during their friendship had Moko acted in this manner.

Something had happened to Moko and this wasn't going to be easily solved by just a conversation and an understanding and the return of a very precious object to her. Even if she were to show Kanae her precious stone, she might get laughed at and even though a friendship was precious to her, Corn's magic, Kuon's magic was also highly precious. Kyoko was feeling very suspicious as she continued to study Kanae.

"Maybe," Maria whispered and Kyoko was brought out from her heavy thoughts, "something bad happened at work."

Kyoko's eyes widened and she laughed weakly. That wouldn't be the case. Not with Moko-san. She was a completely different person to her and so Kyoko could make plenty of mistakes but Kanae was close to perfect. "Wha—t? No way!? To Moko? No way. She's not me," Kyoko said and Maria tilted her head, still trying to think about what they had just seen.

"But, besides that is there any other reason?" Maria asked innocently and Kyoko looked away. She didn't want to think of Kanae experiencing work issues but she didn't know what Kanae could have gone through to be in the type of situation of which she seemed to be.

"If it was like that, why didn't she tell me?" Kyoko laughed through gritted teeth. She closed her eyes, wanting to be the one who could ease Kanae's worries.

"That…you need to ask the person herself," Maria advised.

"Moko-chan," Kyoko yelled out with a great deal of energy and her fists at her side. She had so much energy that it even knocked Maria off balance but at least it completely her objective and that was to get Kanae to turn around and look in her direction. The other girl looked stunned and she seemed to show none of the depression that she had been when she believed herself to be alone. Kyoko wondered whether it was the inner actress within her who must always be presentable.

Kanae's eyes widened, "What…why did you suddenly appear and shout!? Don't scare me like that."

Maria turned to a panting Kyoko who was staring Kanae down, "Onee-chan, did you hear? She said we suddenly appeared. She didn't even notice the Love Me uniform. It seems she was oblivious to everything around her," the small girl commented but Kyoko already knew this. There was something bothering Kanae and even though Kyoko had seen how Kanae truly was behind her act, Kanae was now acting as if nothing was happening and this was all beneath her.

Kanae immediately straightened her posture and made sure that she was holding her bag in what Kyoko could say was a glamorous manner. "What are you doing here? Working for Love Me Group? What did they tell you to do today?" Kanae asked and Kyoko suspected that she was trying to brush the subject off so that they wouldn't make any comments on what they had just witnessed from her. "Sorry, but I only came to the office because I had something to do. I have no time to help you."

Maria stared at Kanae wide-eyed as Kyoko grew more and more frustrated by her friends' behavior. She was so blatantly ignoring the situation and focusing on other, not so important things, instead.

"If I didn't see her in that state," Maria commented, "I would've been fooled, no wonder she's an actor."

Kyoko approached her friend feeling a strange blend of emotions but she didn't want to hold onto the angry emotion for longer than necessary. "Moko," she approached her and Kanae blinked confused. "You…" Kyoko said before deciding to be honest and come right out with it. "Is something bothering you?"

Kanae stared at her for a moment more before quickly turning away from Kyoko and walking away from them. "Absolutely not," she said as she started to walk away and Kyoko couldn't shake the idea that she was being ignored. She wanted to be good friends with Kanae but she wasn't reacting in the ways that Kyoko had always imagined friends to act but that was also something she liked about Kanae, she was unique.

"Why are you lying to me!?" Kyoko cried loudly, hoping to draw her friend's attention back to her. "You must be bothered about something to not realize anything around you," she said feeling a pain of rejection in her heart. "Why aren't you telling me?"

Kanae turned back with her own angry expression, "I told you! I'm not bothered by anything. How can I tell you if it doesn't exist!" she asked and Kyoko froze. She just knew that these were even more lies added onto the original lie.

Kyoko rushed forwards and approached her, "Liar," she stated, "You don't even tell me things when you're happy. Not fair," she pouted and Kanae stomped forwards doing her best to not turn around and look at her. There was a sense of Kyoko being closed off by her best friend and she was desperate to bridge that gap.

"What do you mean?" Kanae asked, "You're the one that tells me stuff about you."

Kyoko shook her head, trying to keep up with Kanae's steady pace. "So mean!" Kyoko commented with a little sorrow in her voice, "If we're friends, when we're happy shouldn't we share with each other?" she asked and Kanae continued to look forwards.

"I don't," she claimed.

Kyoko followed her with that same desperation on her face, her concern was building and she just wanted to be considered a good friend and do things that good friends would do. She wanted a chance to explore that type of friendship between two girls.

"If there is a problem, you should take care of it yourself, that's what I live by," Kanae explained in a sharp tone and Kyoko stopped following her. Her eyes widened as she realized that Moko-chan might never open up to her. That wasn't the type of friendship of which Kyoko had been wanting. Kanae continued to walk forwards until she realized that the two other girls weren't following her any longer and looked back curiously.

Kyoko saw her look at them questioningly before turning her attention away from them. Was she really not ready to confide in Kyoko? Did she truly not trust Kyoko even after all of this time? Kyoko stared at the ground feeling a little selfish for the actions she had made. Kanae turned back to look at her again but Kyoko didn't raise her head. She felt terrible as a friend.

"If that's the case," Kyoko replied, "I will be very sad. We're supposed to be friends," she said and Kanae stared at her nervously. Kyoko knew that she had a hard time opening up to people but she had hoped that she had been different. It appeared that in Moko-chan's eyes, Kyoko was no more special than anyone else and that alone was enough to devastate Kyoko. Kyoko continued to look down sadly. "It must be my fate. I'll never be important to anyone," she commented momentarily forgetting about Corn.

"That," Kanae tried to argue back before stopping, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply leaving a long pause in her speech. She shook her head, looking as if she wanted to maintain her distance. "Anyways," she began and Kyoko looked at her hopefully. "I don't have anything that I can tell you."

Kyoko felt a bitter sting against her heart as she heard those words and Kanae walked away without even looking at her. Had that just confirmed it? Had Kanae just confirmed that their friendship meant very little to her and that Kyoko truly wasn't important to her. That hurt her heart more than anything she had experienced in the past.

…

…

"You've been kind of pissed off today," Yashiro said with crossed arms as he looked to Ren who was having a hard time keeping his appearance. He could tell that something was wrong even though Ren seemed determined to keep it a secret. This would be fine if he would be professional about it but Ren knew he was letting others down. He just hadn't experienced jealousy such as this in the past.

"What it is," Ren said, approaching the situation cautiously, "I can't tell you."

"No," Yashiro shook his head. "You must tell me. In case it happens again and affects business. Ren, you have an image to keep up."

Ren shook his head. He had already told himself that he wasn't going to fall in love. He couldn't afford to have someone special as his girlfriend. That would be asking for too much. "That…" Ren said nervously, "I told you I'm fine," he said before pointing to his smile but Yashiro failed to believe him. "I'm the same as always, right? It's not good for others to be waiting, that's bad right?"

"I can't believe you," Yashiro stated with a shake of his head. "You have something on your mind that brings out a glare and the atmosphere with the last casting director was even worse. You can't promise to keep your true personality from showing," Yashiro scolded him and Ren tried hard not to break his smile. "As 'Ren's manager' I have the right to know the truth to avoid situations like this."

Ren sighed, he knew the truth but how could he explain that he was jealous of Fuwa and that he was afraid that instead of fighting for her own joy and happiness, Fuwa would want to drag her back into his trap. He was uneasy and angry and frustrated because of his dislike and most of all distrust of Sho Fuwa.

"Is it because of Kyoko?" Yashiro asked and Ren's smile dimmed for a moment. How could he even begin to explain such a complicated relationship? "What's going on?" he asked but Ren didn't want to explain it. Yashiro knew that Kyoko was his friend from his childhood already but he didn't know for sure about the way that Ren felt about her. "What kind of relationship do you guys have?"

 **End of Act 79**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 78

Brennakai, Kaname671, musherukuro


	81. Act 80 - Kanae's Boyfriend

**AN:** Even though I probably shouldn't say this because I might change my mind or have people troll me. I have so much to concentrate on with work and school that I have to save reading this month's chapter of Skip Beat (please no spoilers). I really loved October's chapter. Hopefully when I read both chapters in December they'll be just as good.

 **Act 80 – Kanae's Boyfriend**

Kyoko grinned as she stood up in her disguise for acting as a spy. Despite this not being how she had originally wanted to find out information on Moko, it was rather fun to spend some time with Maria and find out things that Moko wouldn't tell her on her own. It would lead to a deepening of the understanding she had of Kanae and then she'd be able to give to her the ideal present.

Maria stood next to Kyoko as the two looked out at the streets of Tokyo. There were some people giving them strange looks because of their costumes but Kyoko was feeling excited to be out of the Love Me uniform and into another outfit. "Onee-san," Maria said as she turned to the sixteen-year-old.

"What Maria?" Kyoko asked and saw the way Maria was looking slightly uncomfortable.

"We…aren't we attracting a lot of attention?" the young girl asked her and Kyoko paused. She knew that they were but she also wanted to spend some time having fun with Maria. These were clothes that belonged to the costume department at LME after all. It would be a shame not to enjoy the experience of being in character.

"Huh," Kyoko said as she looked to the side, "but isn't this better than running around in an LME uniform? Plus, I always wanted to try wearing this kind of outfit," she smiled as she played with the hat. She looked like a classic noir detective from a movie. She had seen some of these movies when she had been growing up since Shotaro would find them more interesting than princess stories but he would always say that the best private investigators were men. It was more fun though for Kyoko to experience it.

Kyoko grinned as she closed her eyes and laughed happily, "It must be because I really want to become an actress," she tried to explain despite there being other reasons. Maria sighed and closed her eyes but Kyoko fully believed that she understood her reasoning. Was it really that difficult to follow?

"Moko-san doesn't tell me anything," Kyoko pouted as she thought about the difficulty that Kanae was having and that the point of dressing up in this style was so that she could try to figure out what was going on in her best friend's life. It was heartbreaking to be kept as an outsider but with the right intel, Kyoko could strengthen the bonds of friendship.

Kyoko had been following her for a while before this as well and she had seen Kanae talking with the head of the actors section. She had seemed bothered by something and was looking sad. There had to be something that was going on with her work. They were discussing something important and Kanae had lied to her and said that there was nothing of importance going on. That was definitely a lie. Seeing as she was talking with the head of the actors section, it had to do with her work but maybe Moko was too proud to let something like that be told.

Kyoko put her hat on and then slipped her glasses on. She wondered whether this would strengthen their friendship but at the same time, she wanted to be a better friend too. If she could prove her friendship desire to Kanae then she would be doing her part as well. She would find out for herself if Kanae refused to tell her the truth.

Lifting her head up and ignoring the men who were talking behind her, Kyoko looked straight out at the scene wanting to perfect the disguise of being a private eye without worrying what other people thought of her. "Maria, let's go," she said acting within character and Maria soon followed her lead.

"Okay, Onee-san," Maria said before they walked off into the city. They needed to find out the facts no matter how they went about doing so.

…

…

After following the route where Kyoko believed that she would see Kanae, she stood there completely stunned. She had seen Kanae disappear from view and then she had returned wearing a different outfit with different makeup and a wig on. It didn't make sense to her. What was going on and why was Kanae trying to hide who she really was? It felt shady but Kyoko really didn't want to accuse her friend of that.

She didn't understand this situation. As soon as they had spotted Kanae, the two of them had tailed her and they had watched her enter a building still with the gloom radiating around her. Kyoko had never expected to see what was now in front of her. After Kanae had gone into the building, which Kyoko would have understood if it was her home, she had returned as a completely different person. If it wasn't because of her skill making dolls and learning people's body statistics, Kyoko might never have recognized her.

In only a few seconds, the black haired actress had put on a light brown wig which made her hair look very stylish. She was wearing cute clothes that Kyoko had never expected for Kanae even to own. She was wearing a jacket, cute top, a flowing skirt and fashionable shoes. She had even put on perfume so she smelled differently. It was like a complete fairytale transformation. Kyoko didn't want to think about Kanae needing that, to her Moko-chan was always so beautiful.

Had she done this so that she could go on a date with this man who had just kissed her head. The man looked like someone who would be very popular because of his appearance but Kyoko still felt jealous of him. She didn't trust men and she had felt that Kanae, her Love Me partner, had the same kind of sentiment. Why was she in the Love Me section when she could so easily allow a guy to kiss her on the top of her head like that?

Kanae turned to him with a smile and Kyoko kept thinking about how cute and pretty she was. The glow over her face was of a girl who was in love and Kyoko felt that she was being replaced by this strange person. She had a glimmer of hope in her eyes and her smile was so beautiful. What kind of spell had this jerk placed her poor Moko under?

"I saw it," both Kyoko and Maria said together as they turned so that Kanae and the teenage boy couldn't see them. They gasped in disbelief, "They kissed," Kyoko said still unsure of what to do since the situation seemed so out of character for Kanae. "Although it was on the forehead."

After getting over the shock for a moment, Kyoko and Maria turned again to watch Kanae as she walked down the street with the boy's arm around her in a very loving and protective fashion. Her mood had seemed to change entirely, she was happy and Kyoko stared at her. How could her move just flip so easily like that? Kyoko didn't want to see her depressed but she did want to be someone who Kanae could confide in.

Kyoko turned to Maria, trying to reason it all to herself. "Kanae-chan was once a spokesperson after all, she may be considered a celebrity," she said more for her own benefit than Maria's. "It's understandable for her to put on make up to go on a date."

Kyoko turned back and sighed. Kanae was acting like one of those teenage girls that Kyoko had seen in all of those movies about the perfect friendship. She had wanted that type of friendship and those interactions with Kanae but Moko would always reject her for it. Kyoko bowed her head, Kanae had never smiled like that in front of her before, she had never really acted like a teenage girl before. Did the disguise allow her the freedom to do so? Was that the meaning behind it?

It hurt that Kanae didn't need her and she wouldn't show this type of behavior to her. Before she could control herself, Kyoko had sent her demons towards the guy in an envious manner. She saw as he rubbed his neck as if something had struck him.

"it hurts," he commented and Kanae turned to him concerned.

"What's wrong?" she asked and the teenager looked from side to side. Kyoko hid herself from sight as she felt her anger towards this guy grow even stronger. Kyoko knew that he couldn't see anything but she still wanted to direct her pain somewhere. This was someone who might be abusing and using Moko just as Shotaro had done to her. It was as if the devil and angel scene really had taken place again.

"Ouch!" the man said and Kanae turned to him looking worried about this.

"As long as this guy disappears," Kyoko whispered feeling a sense of hatred towards him. Men were somewhat despicable, especially if he was forcing Moko to dress up like this. He should love her for who she really is and not who she was turning herself into for his benefit.

"Wow," Maria said in awe of Kyoko's strong emotions, "Incredible, sis!" she gasped, "How did you do it? What are you controlling?" she asked but Kyoko was feeling too much anger to really respond to her. There had to be some way she could drive this idiot away from Moko.

Kyoko paused as she remembered when she had been filming Shotaro's promo. Kanae had told her directly that if she would choose to love her life for a guy she would feel very blessed. Kyoko felt a shiver creep through her body as she thought about the possibility of this being the person who Moko had been referring to. Kyoko caught a look at them and saw Kanae standing beside the guy. She was concerned about what had happened to him and seemed to be making sure that he was okay.

Had Kyoko done something terrible to her friend? Had she hurt the guy who Moko really cared for? Was she about to curse someone who didn't deserve it just because she didn't feel special enough to be chosen as Moko's most important person. She had almost really hurt someone who seemed like a good guy and wasn't about to play around with her feelings. If he did that then she would have a reason but maybe love for other people wasn't as cold and bitter and painful as she had led herself to believe.

Somehow, Kanae's laughter and playful nature concerned Kyoko. She didn't like the fact that this man was handsome because it made him harder to trust. People who were handsome often had many other options, that had happened to Shotaro. Still, if he was ugly then he wouldn't be good enough for Moko who was always so stunningly beautiful.

Afterall, it wasn't up to Kyoko who Moko chose to spend her life with. She was willing to take second then if that made Kanae happy. Even though it gave her a lonely feeling in her heart, Kanae would always be precious to her.

"Sis," Maria called out and Kyoko raised her head, "This isn't good, Kanae-san, she.."

Kyoko had a happy smile on her face, "They broke up?" she asked energetically. If that guy was no longer in the picture then Kyoko could secure the number one place for herself.

"No," Maria shook her head. "It's not a break up. After saying goodbye to her boyfriend another guy appeared."

Kyoko lifted her head and looked out. Kanae had barely spent five minutes with the first guy and now another guy, a much older guy had his hand on her back and she was smiling at him happily. Kanae couldn't really be having a relationship with a rich middle aged guy, could she? What the heck was going on?

 **End of Act 80**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	82. Act 81 - Truth and Disguised

**AN:** I just got another review about the lack of originality of this piece which I have admitted to several times in author notes but I thought maybe they didn't know I've written more original Skip Beat fanfics.

Let me list them to you:

 **Completed:**

Acceptance, Alive, Awake, Bad Yashiro, If Love Was a Memory, Life by Gang Rules, More Like a Phoenix, Q and A, Saving Mr. Hizuri, The Lady and Kuon, Those Good Old Days,

 **Cancelled:**

Happy Family, Just Like a Fairytale, My Dear Kuon, My Sweetest Corn and My Dearest Kuon, My teacher and his student, No Loose Ends, Secrets, The Big Bad Wolf, The Cold Body of the Law, The Voice

 **In Progress:**

A Daddy's Boy, A Malignant Carcinoma of the Right Hemisphere, After the Assassination, Against Proper Form, Always With You, An American Love Story, Baby Fever, Cheating Death, Don't forget I love you, End of a Very Long Road Home, Family History, Father-In-Law, Food and Life TV, For a Living, Four Months Later, In Your Eyes, It's Just Like Magic, It's Sho Time for Kuon, Just A Family Get Together, Kuon, Life is Like a Fairytale, Little Girl Lost, Loyalty, Made to Fit, My Sensei, Parenting Firsts, Repeat Previous Song, Sacrifices, So Lucky to Have You, Somebody Else's, Study of Life, Taken Over, The Beauty in the Beautiful, The Forgotten Princess, The Heart of My Enemy, The Hizuri's Black Sheep, The Lake in the Park, The Little Prince, The Lost Ones, They Will Be Our Secrets, Time of Darkness, Vocal Chords, Way You See Me, You'll Always Be My Prince, You Live You Love You Survive,

I mean, if you still want to say I'm uncreative and unoriginal then go ahead but I still think I am creative and original and this is a fic I get to slack off like so many other people have done on this site before me.

 **Act 81 – Truth and Disguised**

Kyoko froze as she watched Kanae be led into a car by an older man, still in the strange disguise that she was wearing before. The middle aged man smiled at her softly, "Waited long?" he asked and Kanae shook her head with a laugh before getting into the car. Kyoko watched in complete bewilderment as the car drove off. She couldn't understand this. They had left so suddenly and the interactions with the other guy, Kanae's special someone, that was a brief moment too.

Even if Kyoko got all the answers, could she still understand something so strange and would that lead her to knowing more about Kanae, that had bee the goal of this mission. "It should be her dad, right?" Kyoko mused as she looked in the direction the car had driven off. "Maybe…"

Maria laughed loudly and rubbed the back of her neck with her face turning bright red. Kyoko looked at her suspiciously, not sure why she was laughing like that. "Yeah, there is that possibility," she said and Kyoko stared at her. What other possibility would a girl of Maria's age be thinking of? Could she have lost all of her innocence? "I thought it was soliciting," Maria explained, "I thought she was a mistress."

Kyoko continued to stare at her. Maria was seven-years-old, how could she be jumping to those types of conclusions? It didn't seem natural. "How can that be…Maria…you're really…" she trailed off as Maria continued to laugh out of her embarrassment.

…

…..

Yashiro stared at Ren as he put on a rubber glove like the kind that surgeons use when preparing for an operation. They were on the set of the drama that Ren was working on that day and Ren was getting slightly concerned about Yashiro's actions.

"Yashiro-san," he laughed weakly "Your phone broke again? Take mine," he offered as he held it out to him. "It seems like you have bad luck with electronics," he noted and Yashiro nodded. It was strange, anyone would think that with Yashiro's well kept appearance and skills in his job as a manager, that he would be very skilled with electronics but that, and driving, were two areas in which he stumbled. Ren had never seen him have problems with technology though even though he had been his manager for about three years.

"Yeah," Yashiro sighed sadly with his head bowed. He reached out with his gloved hand to take Ren's phone, was wearing gloves a new form of respect or something. "Because I picked up the phone in a hurry without wearing gloves. I'm sorry but can you lend me yours for a while?" he asked. Ren nodded, handing it to him. Yashiro needed his phone more than he did because he needed to be able to coordinate schedules and receive job assignments that Ren would later consider.

"Are you really human and not an alien?" Ren joked and Yashiro sighed and shook his head.

"This…even I had no evidence. If I handle a phone for ten seconds with my bare hands, it'll definitely break. It's truly a headache," he said and Ren paused before seeing Yashiro turn to him with a smile, "Just ten seconds, Ren."

Ren paused, a little taken aback that Yashiro was trying to make sure he knew that fact. Yes, it wasn't human but he had already acknowledged those words once. "Ah, that's incredible," he laughed weakly, "but why do you have to repeat it?"

Ren froze as Yashiro took off his glove and looked as if he were about to break Ren's phone in the way he told him that he could. This deeply shocked the younger man. There was all kinds of information that he had saved onto his phone and especially things he had looked up in the past for when he had experienced difficulties with his job performances. "Yashiro-san, what do you think you're doing?" he asked with widened eyes. "Don't do that, the phone has my…" Ren's eyes widened as he thought about the secret folder in which he had stored pictures of him and Kyoko. It was password encrypted for her protection but those were still memories he had of the two of them together.

Yashiro grinned in a slightly evil manner, "If you want your phone to be safe then you had better comply with my wishes," he told him and Ren paused. "What are your emotions towards Kyoko. I know when you're lyin—"

Ren bowed his head and closed his eyes. It hurt to have to say it and he wanted the information to remain private, it wasn't as if he could do anything with it but the risk of losing his phone and his memories with Kyoko was too precious for him. "Not even the president sh-"

"I wasn't talking about the president but as your manager, I should be able to learn these things, so should I put the phone in my other hand?" he asked and Ren stopped. His eyes widened.

"I love her," he said and Yashiro tossed him back his phone which he made a quick grab for before it landed on the ground. "That doesn't mean anything though," Ren said as he made another inspection of his phone. "In fact, it would be better for her if I didn't love her. I want to be friends with her but it would be unfair to wish for more."

Yashiro frowned before humming, "I won't ask for your reasons on that right now but are you convinced that it would be better if the two of you were not together?" he asked and Ren shrugged. He shook his head with a sigh.

"Yes," he finally said, "I am convinced that right now it would be a very bad thing."

"So, I think it's important to keep this confidential," Yashiro told him. "You never know what will happen when you tell a girl that you love them." Ren paled at that. He didn't want to continue lying to her, she didn't like that, but at the same time he really couldn't afford to have precious things in this lifetime.

…

…..

Kyoko sighed as she looked at the rice that she was working on at Daruma-ya. She thought to herself, that even if she had tailed Kanae and learned new things about her, none of the things which she had seen really told her what was troubling her friend. Kanae had been seen with multiple men but there didn't seem to be anything to do with her acting. The intel that Kyoko had collected was that she had a very handsome boyfriend who wasn't mistreating her as well as a father who looked like a foreigner and drove a Rolls Royce car. Kyoko paused as she realized something about the car. That car was extremely expensive, no regular person could afford that meaning that Kanae was from an ultra-rich family.

Kyoko paused as she focused on her memories of Kanae. She always wore and used designer clothes and other items whilst appearing extremely elegant. She had class and wasn't afraid to buy things that would make her stand out. She always grabbed other people's eyes with the flattering choices. She also managed to conquer things she went after with talent and beauty. If it wasn't for her bad temper, she would be the ideal rich girl.

However, because she didn't act rich then she must be trying to suppress it and act humble unless she had been doing it for Kyoko's own good. There was a possibility that Kanae only acted as a commoner in front of Kyoko because she wanted to be respectful towards her. She had the life of a fantasy princess and now Kyoko could eagerly watch her and understand the type of life of which she had always dreamed.

She didn't know why Kanae wouldn't share this secret with her but Kyoko felt as if she had figured it out and now she could really try to pick out the perfect gift. She was learning more about her precious friend and closing the gap that Kanae had seemed to put up between them.

As Kyoko worked on cleaning some of the dirty dishes, she fantasized about what kind of a life she could have with a friend from such a high social standing.

"Kyoko," Okami-san said as she turned to look at Kyoko and the young girl stopped, focusing more on her duties. "Please go see what Booth 3 wants," she said and Kyoko nodded. She was still in a dreamlike mode as she walked through the restaurant. As she approached the table, she could hear a man talking to his daughter and hoped that this would be a pleasant encounter.

"Hey! Katsumi, minors can't drink alcohol," he told her before pushing a bowl forwards, "You'd better eat the fish instead."

Katsumi huffed, twisting the bowl in her hand and put it down. She pouted. "No! I said before that I don't like fish," she said and the man laughed at her reaction. However, Kyoko stood incredibly still as she saw the 'father-daughter' dinner. She could swear that this was another one of Kanae's disguises but she didn't look at all like she had in her first disguise.

"The fish cuisine here is really good," the man argued and Kyoko could hear the voice. Although she was trying to change the type of speech she used, Kyoko knew that this was definitely Kanae by the voice but it was extremely strange to her.

"The fish tastes the same anywhere," Katsumi huffed.

"Be good. Just give it a try," the father encouraged and Katsumi looked a little angry before putting her chopsticks to the piece of fish.

"If it tastes awful, I won't let you off. Old bastard…" Kanae said before pausing as she made direct eye contact with an extremely suspicious Kyoko. Neither of them knew how to act. What even was the best thing to do at this point?

 **End of Act 81**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	83. Act 82 - Hidden Identities

**AN:** So, I kind of get what you guys were saying with response to new scenes vs. old scenes so I'm going to try to have a little more. It was around the Dark Moon arc when it was really going to change though.

 **Act 82 – Hidden Identities**

Kyoko stared horrified at Kanae as she returned that same look, this was extremely strange and she was having difficulty grasping the concept of it.

"What's wrong, Katsumi?" the father asked as Kyoko's head more or less exploded. It was a different look, different name. "Do you know her?"

Who was Katsumi? What the hell was going on?

…..

…..

As Kyoko approached LME for her acting training the following morning, she was trying to reason everything out. Kanae had two fathers, one of which was a sparkling socialite and the other who was an old geezer. The life of company cars and elegant dresses fit Kanae's image more in Kyoko's head but it wasn't even that. Kanae had dressed in different ways and was even speaking differently with different names. Did she have multiple personalities or something? Well, Kyoko wouldn't argue with that?

As she walked along, she felt a hand on her shoulder and blinked. Was Kanae standing there? No, the person was taller than her. She turned back and saw Ren grinning at her but she also heard people talking about her. Why was he drawing attention to himself?

"Sorry," he laughed in a strange manner since he had always seemed so composed before. This didn't seem to line up with the idea of him that she had in her head. She raised a questioning eyebrow and he sighed. "You looked nervous about something, maybe we could talk?" he asked and Kyoko dropped down into a bow that was pretty late due to her shock.

"Tsuruga-san," she said before nervously shifting, was she covering up their friendship well enough? "It's okay. Good morning, you must have other things to worry about. Were you on your way to work too?" she asked and Ren gestured in the direction of LME.

"The president wanted to ask me something but I'm running early. If you'd like me to listen to your concerns," he offered and Kyoko watched him. She was about to shake her head and refuse before she started to think more carefully on the topic. Ren Tsuruga was also Kuon Hizuri. The two had different lives, different hair and eye colors, different names, she even believed that they would have different voices.

"If that's not an inconvenience," she said and Ren nodded, leading her away to a secluded area near the front entrance. He sat down at a bench and gestured for her to do the same. "Tsuruga-san, when you are the other you, do you do things differently?"

Ren sighed and bowed his head, he felt exhausted just thinking about that question. "I'm not sure what you're exactly asking but being Tsuruga Ren means that I have to Tsuruga Ren exclusively. I'm not supposed to use the other persona."

"But…are they different? Do you have different fathers?" Kyoko asked and Ren looked at her.

"No, just the one," he replied as he thought about how disappointed his dad was in him and how he had cast him off as his child. He had felt cut off from the Hizuri family because of a lack of love and that he would shame the family but that wasn't something he wanted for Kyoko to hear from him. He wanted to be seen as someone who wasn't the black sheep.

"Do you think that someone could have two fathers?" Kyoko asked and Ren nodded.

"If there's a divorce, quite possibly, these days it might even be possible to have three fathers, two stepfathers and a biological one," he said and Kyoko nodded slowly again. This wasn't making her any less confused. Ren turned to her, were those not the answers she was hoping to get or was the simple topic of homosexual relationships making her feel awkward.

Kyoko looked down, she didn't want to get into detail with what she had seen with Moko but it didn't seem to be similar to Ren's situation at all. He wasn't getting paid to be Ren Tsuruga except for acting jobs that he would probably be paid for as his other self as well. He wasn't going around with different names to different fathers, he had one father who it seemed didn't accept him.

"Do you think there's a lot of people who get paid to be someone else's child?" she asked and Ren sighed.

"Who knows, people pay for many things that you wouldn't expect of them," he explained. "I would never want to not honor my father by pretending to be someone else's son despite him probably preferring that. If I wasn't his son, he probably would have been happier."

Kyoko looked at him not sure how to respond to that and Ren heard a timer on his phone, he smiled to her apologetically.

"Anyway, I do apologize but I have to go to my appointment before I run the risk of not arriving early," he told her before closing his eyes. "I don't know the details of the problem that you're facing, Mogami-san," he said in a more gentleman manner. "However, if you are dealing with a relationship issue that is confusing you, you can always ask. You might not receive an answer but you can always go ahead and try."

Kyoko watched him and jumped up, bowing and saying her goodbyes. She felt a little nervous going up to Moko and asking her about that, it didn't seem like something that Moko wanted her to see but maybe it would stop all of Kyoko's questions and lead to a much deeper understanding.

…

…

Kyoko watched Kanae as they stood in class together. They had been doing exercises and currently were doing a breather between them and so Kyoko had time to approach Kanae about the questions she had but she didn't want Kanae to come to the accurate conclusion that Kyoko had stalked her. She didn't want to explain how terrible she was as a friend.

She should just do it though but be prepared for her not wanting to talk about it, otherwise it would make her feel like she was losing it. It felt strange and as hesitant as Kyoko was to ask about it, then not asking about it would also seem weird because she would seem to have been pushing something aside. It was important to show concern and interest with a friend. Maybe Kyoko could get away with just limiting the conversation to what happened in Daruma-ya.

Well, she had to go for it.

"Moko-chan, I was so shocked yesterday, what a coincidence," she laughed happily as she tried to present the image of an understanding and kind friend who one could approach. "Do you always talk like that in front of your father?"

Kyoko said with a smile but Kanae turned to her, shame and anger showing on her face as her eyes narrowed whilst looking in Kyoko's direction. "This, this is none of your business," Kanae said and Kyoko paled. Kanae's voice had been rough and judgmental and it cut her like heavy blades. Kyoko turned around and burst into loud and noisy tears at facing this rejection whilst Kanae didn't know what to do next.

Kyoko went away feeling extremely upset, she was an idiot and she should have just let it go. Of course she wasn't special enough to be told things that were important to other people. She had never been considered important. She should just get used to being alone.

Kyoko attempted to ignore the comments that two other girls were making, she knew that they were talking about her and Moko and it really wasn't any of their business but she didn't want to make this situation worse by elevating the tension. Kyoko bowed her head until she heard something interesting.

"Come to think of it, Kotonami-san, didn't she have a chance to act in a drama serial?" one of the girls asked.

"She also came for a lesson a few days ago, could it be that it's over?" her friend asked and Kyoko felt her back straighten. Could those two girls have figured out what was wrong with Moko before she did. No. That wasn't what mattered the most, what mattered most was helping Moko feel better and overcome her depressed emotions. If she could learn how to do that then maybe there was a chance for a brighter friendship.

"No idea," the first girl said. "I have no idea what role it is. I heard that the director wanted her to act in it believing that it would have many possibilities. They couldn't have completed the show so quickly, right?"

Kyoko looked back at Kanae who was sitting by herself as if dead to the world. There was a longing and a loneliness that Kyoko felt from her but Kanae had already told her off and she didn't want to make it worse by prying. Maybe it was best to give her some space.

Still, if this was a problem with her work then it would make sense. Kyoko wanted to give Kanae a shoulder to cry on and try to praise her acting ability and tell her that the right opportunity would come along. She wanted to find out if there was any way of saving the current job. She wanted to help but she didn't want to get yelled at again, if Kanae yelled at her then although Kyoko could take it, her precious friend would be hurting.

It seemed very clear to Kyoko that even if she did question Kanae then she definitely wouldn't be told anything. Despite the hand she had extended in friendship, she never managed to grip onto Kanae's, only a few fingers but they would wriggle out if she tried to close her hand. She wanted a better friendship, a purer friendship. Was that even possible with Kanae?

What would Ren say about this?

…..

…

Because he was so early, Ren was asked to sit outside the president's office. He sighed and closed his eyes as he waited. He wasn't too excited about the reason he was asked to come. The president had questions for him that he didn't want to answer and he was using the method of talking over tea to try to get Ren to open up. Ren opened his eyes to see there was an American magazine on the counter in front of him and someone had earmarked a page.

As he opened it, his eyes widened and he quickly scanned the article. Most times, he managed to ignore information about this particular actor, Hizuri Kuu, but when it was right in front of him it was much harder to do. Ren looked at one question in particular.

 _Q: Kuu, do you have any children?_

 _A: No comment._

 **End of Act 82**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 81

Ashenvale, Kaname671


	84. Act 83 - Hiou Uesugi

**AN:** This one doesn't have that much original content but I felt it was important to show these scenes

 **Act 83 – Hiou Uesugi**

Kyoko was still angry. She wanted to be Kanae's favorite person, the person who Kanae shared with and Kyoko was just someone who Kanae wanted to keep away. She heard some girls talking together to her side. These were proper friends and right now it pissed her off. She knew that they were discussing her and she wasn't going to just ignore it, not today, not after what had happened with Moko.

"You guys," she said with a hateful aura around her, "are you laughing at me?"

Kyoko watched the girls back away, both shaking their heads quickly. Kyoko didn't believe them but it wasn't as if she could do anything to them. They weren't doing anything to her apart from pissing her off. Their friendship was something that she craved and they were using it to make fun of her, she was extremely hurt and upset.

"Even though I said that I was number second, you two find that funny?" Kyoko asked with a fire burning around her. "Never mind!" she snapped at them, "Laugh all you want but don't hide and laugh at me openly." Kyoko had a feeling that people all around her were shocked with the violent waves she had around her but she didn't care. She was annoyed at being seen as an unimportant fool. She didn't want to think that let alone voice it.

"This," a new voice said and Kyoko had to admit the voice sounded as if it came from a child. "Shut up you whore!" a boy yelled as he shoved Kyoko and knocked her off balance. She turned in alarm and saw the kid standing next to her. There was a brat who was trying to take her down? Well, even if he did try, he wouldn't succeed.

"Threatening and scaring women and children with such an attitude," he yelled as he pointed at her and Kyoko blinked, she was being called out by a brat? "And this neon pink uniform with that logo. You must be Kotonami Kanae's partner!"

Kyoko's eyes widened as she stared at the young boy. The boy next to her had messy black hair, was wearing a t-shirt and shorts and shoes that all looked designer. However, Kyoko hated that she was being yelled at by a kid. This was not what she had expected. Wait, the boy had just mentioned Moko meaning that maybe he was part of what had upset her. Kyoko managed to settle herself down and turned to face the boy straight on.

"Why are you guys so barbaric?" the brat said still pointing at her, "Is this considered proper as a Japanese woman? Don't think that such an attitude can survive in showbiz. If you continue with such actions, I'll make sure you cry so no more tears fall out."

During this speech, Kyoko had calmed down enough to be thinking about what he had just said. He was talking about Moko. Even though Moko hadn't told her, somehow this kid knew about it. Well, he must have seen something happen so maybe she could get him to tell her the truth of what happened. She wasn't fond of his attitude though, it wasn't right for a child to say that to her.

"My family has been famous in showbiz for three generations," the boy announced, "To get rid of the newly debuted brats, you and Kotonami, is as easy as pie and to add to that, using violence to hurt me then, it's even easier."

Kyoko paused. So this kid had something to do with the way that Moko had failed in her job. There were some dots that Kyoko needed connecting but it had something to do with violence. Although Kanae was very judgmental, she didn't go around hurting other actors especially those who she admired meaning that the brat must have done something to her whilst they were filming. Kyoko's jaw dropped in shock at the next comments.

"Kotonami Kanae, that violent woman is unable to return."

Kyoko paled, so this boy was determined to ruin Moko's acting career and it sickened Kyoko. Who the hell was he to feel that he had the power to do that? What kind of brat was she dealing with here?

Kyoko leaned down, she could get her answers from this boy and then she could help Moko feel better, she only had to ask nicely and the boy would tell her the information which she wanted to know. She leant down next to him so that they could speak, "Why did Mo—Kotonami-san hurt you?" she asked trying to make sure that she had open body language and she was talking in a pleasing and kind manner. She wouldn't get the information unless she really tried to make friends with this kid.

The boy glared at her, his expression darkening significantly from where it had been.

"Would you tell Onee-san?" Kyoko asked and the boy growled again, he stared at Kyoko with a darkness that could match her own.

"You are thinking that I'm just a brat, aren't you?" he asked as he continued to frown and Kyoko felt a little nervous. How was she supposed to answer that? She did think that he was just a brat but she needed answers from him. He might be as good at seeing though her lies as Ren was. Suddenly the boy pointed at her again, his face looking like demon's out of a comic book as he announced loudly, "You're done for!"

Kyoko blinked hard as she heard those words through her mind. She was done for? For what reason? He was going to try to keep her in the dark in terms of show business just as he had done with Moko? But why?

"You'll be officially fired!" he yelled and Kyoko struggled to understand the reasons behind this. She would be fired? But what job was he supposedly firing her from and how did he get the power to just go around getting people fired from their work. "You'll definitely be fired! No matter what you'll be fired!" he announced and Kyoko looked at him in shock. Had this kid gone power mad? "You and Kotonami too!"

"Even if you're reborn! You'll be fired!" he said and Kyoko stared at him in shock. What had she done to the kid to deserve this and why was he repeating it. She didn't understand and it didn't look like he wanted to provide any answers. What was going on?

…

…

Kyoko stood in her Bo costume in front of the director who continued to dislike her after she had messed things up with Shotaro on the first show. She didn't believe that she could ever do anything that would replace his first opinion of her as a trouble maker. She stood firm as she listened to the director explain to her who the next guest would be.

"About today's guest, his father is Uesugi Ryotaro, who was acting in a Hollywood movie last year and his mother is Nabatame Yuuko. In addition, the legendary Uesugi Kotetsu is his grandpa. His appeal is his martial art. It is so beautiful that it's already an art. There's no actor before him – no, after him too that could surpass his martial arts. He has a lot of fans overseas too. He is the treasure of the entertainment world, no it's better to call him the country's treasure and he's well known for spoiling his grandchild."

Kyoko paused as she saw how passionate this man was and how he really admired the grandfather of their guest. They had had other important guests on the show but something about this grandson of his made Kyoko feel very uncomfortable with him being there. She had been watching and learning from Bridge Rock on how to be successful at hosting but she still had her biases against certain people. The director pointed at her, his face turning sharp as he handled the matter with growing severity.

"Listen well," he told her, "You must not do anything that could spoil today's guest's mood or that could anger Kotetsu-shii" he said and Kyoko remained silent. She felt a dark cloud hanging over her and she didn't want to mention the fact that she had already had problems with him. That wouldn't be good for the director to see and would worsen his opinion of her.

"Why is your face like that?" he asked angrily and Kyoko felt that she wouldn't be able to get anything passed him. If he truly was a fan then he would be critical and biased against her and that might lead her to losing this job. Even though dressing as a rooster wasn't her favorite thing, it was still a job and allowed her time to connect or at least be around the guests. She didn't want to lose the role but she had already had problems with that brat.

Kyoko stood still as she was ready to put her head on and listened to the three hosts make the announcement together.

"Then let's introduce today's guest. The guest this time is very acting in commercials and dramas. He's now Japan's most infamous elementary student. Uesugi Hiou-kun!"

Kyoko paled, "It's already too late, I think," she whispered to herself. She felt a dark gloom looming over her.

The director however heard her and growled before looking at her in an irate fashion, "What? Already? What the hell have you done?" he barked at her and Kyoko paused. She hadn't meant to vocalize those thoughts and now the director would like her even less than he already did if that was even possible.

"I didn't do anything!" Kyoko quickly tried to explain herself, "No…really..and it's fine," she panicked. She was at risk of creating an even worse image of herself and she didn't feel that it was fair. This brat was more in the wrong than she was and yet he was so smug and confident that it made her feel very angry and bitter about him being on the show. Yet, she wasn't in charge of who would appear. She was only the mascot. "That kid doesn't know that I'm Bo," she tried to reason out but the director still looked at her angrily. Would it really be all right?

 **End of Act 83**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to Kaname671 for reviewing Act 82


	85. Act 84 - Those Brats

**AN:** Not a very creative chapter but I think I put some good stuff in there too 😊

 **Act 84 – Those Brats**

Kyoko paled as Kimagure Rock continued to film. She believed that she was completely disguised as Bo but for some reason the brat was glaring at her. He was still being talked to by the Bridge Rock members but his attention seemed to be placed on the rooster as if asking what the hell she was doing there. Kyoko just tried to keep calm so that she didn't get discovered. Being Bo wasn't her favorite thing but the kid shouldn't harbor negative feelings towards her.

"Wow," Hikaru said with his usual blend of energy, "If you go home, there will be Nabatame-san, it's amazing." He grinned trying to keep Hiou excited. Kyoko had seen how the three guys had grown with the show and how they were able to read the body language of their guests, they also each had their own personality type and Hikaru most definitely was the leader. He was also the most playful and optimistic of the members.

Hiou frowned though, he bowed his head as if avoiding the cameras and Kyoko couldn't help but study him hoping that she would be able to get him to open up about what might be happening with Moko.

"Not really," Hiou said in a quiet manner, "Even if I go home, my parents are hardly home. So it's really not a big deal." Kyoko paused. Could that be a part of what was upsetting him? Was it because Moko had multiple fathers and they spoiled her that he was acting like this. No. Kyoko wasn't even sure what was going on with those older men especially since it didn't seem to be Moko that they were treating and Kyoko didn't want to think about certain things that would make her head spin round in circles.

"So it's like that," Hikaru said uneasily. He laughed awkwardly as he struggled to keep the interview on the positive note, "You're right," he said. Kyoko had a feeling it would be okay though, Hikaru always had a sort of ease about getting onto the next question and making sure to patch up the show just like when Shotaro had been on the show. "By…by the way, I've been wondering, Hiou-kun, why is your head bandaged?"

Kyoko paused. No. He couldn't be asking a question like that. If Hiou was the kind of brat that she believed that he was then he would shame Moko on television and her career would be over before she knew it. Her name would be said with a bitter and unpleasant tone. This was her dream. Kyoko couldn't let her treasured friend lose out on her dream.

"This was caused when we were shooting a drama by that lowly actress Koto -" Hiou said and Kyoko purposefully threw the tray she was carrying on the ground creating a huge diversion that made Hiou jump and stop speaking. Maybe she would be called a wild rooster again but even if she lost this job and was banned from the TV studio like they had told her in the past, Moko would still be able to live freely and work towards that dream she had had since she was a child.

"What are you doing, Bo?" Hikaru said with a light and playful slap to Bo as if acting like he was some kind of pet. It didn't annoy Kyoko though. She had a great deal of respect for the hosts but what did worry her was that this brat had the arrogance and pride to actually go ahead and destroy something so precious. This kid was going to say her name but not only her first name, her full name. He could use her initials or just not give a name but he was bold enough and rude enough to actually scar her. Kyoko might not be her number one person but she still had to protect her. She wanted Kanae as a precious friend. She needed to protect her with everything she had inside of her.

…

…

Kyoko had tried her hardest during the program to really make sure that Kanae's name wasn't heard on TV. She knew that the more she attempted to stop Hiou, the more there came the possibility that her own name would become muddied and dirty but it didn't matter to her as long as Moko could live in her own beautiful world. Kyoko would climb out of the dirt to protect Moko's dream. She didn't want to let Hiou say anything that would negatively influence Moko's future.

As the show was at the half-way point, Kyoko felt herself exhausted. Not only was she supposed to do her role as the mascot but she was trying to protect Moko as well. She saw everyone trying to get ready for the next segment and heard a voice behind her. "Oy! You!" Hiou said as he pointed to her and she turned around to see his angry face along with his young manager who was looking a little nervous about this. Of course she was, this boy was twisted.

"You're probably Kotonami's friend, the one I met earlier, aren't you?" he asked and Kyoko looked at him. So he did know who she was. He probably had more information than she knew he did, either that or he was very perceptive of the goings on around him. Of course, Ren had said that he observed numerous things but then even when she had met him as a small boy, Corn had been impossibly smart.

Kyoko tried to make some cute movements that a mascot could make to show that she didn't know what he was talking about but somehow that made him even more angry. He looked at her bitterly and she continued to dance around like a cute rooster. "Don't play dumb! Stupid pink witch!" he yelled at her.

"When I start talking about Kotonami Kanae, you interfere! The only person that knew that I hate her besides the ones related to the drama is you!" Hiou announced and Kyoko looked at him. He thought he was able to throw her name around here as well? Didn't he know the meaning of friendship? Didn't he even have one friend in his life who he cared about, one person. Yes, Kyoko's mother had not wanted anything to do with her but Kyoko was imagining that Hiou's family must be like the ones that Ren had, they were too busy for him and made him feel alone. It was a sad reality for a child to face but it didn't mean that the parents didn't give a crap about the kid.

Kyoko knew at that point that Hiou was probably more like Corn than she had wanted to admit. Corn always knew so much more than his years and though this boy was younger, he was just like Corn apart from he didn't have the attractiveness of Corn and he probably couldn't do the tricks and athletic skills that Kuon could. Kyoko blushed inside the suit but as she came back to reality, she felt more anger towards the brat. How could she be comparing him to Corn? Hopefully Ren would never find out about that.

Hiou faced her with a dark look and defiant stance, "I've decided now that I know it's you, I'm going to bucchi you," he said with the look of a villain and Kyoko blinked. Was that some type of slang word that she had never learned. What was the meaning of that word and what he was going to do to her? She paused and tilted her head to the side.

"Bucchi?" she repeated, "Is that a noun?"

"It's a verb!" Hiou snapped back, "I said I can sweep you out! Don't make me explain it!" he said and Kyoko's eyes snapped open. She was really being attacked this time. What was this kids problem, did he go away and have tantrums and get people fired because he was from such a 'powerful' family. She stared at him. She felt horrible that she had even tried to compare him and Corn. Corn would be hurt by that comparison. Maybe sometimes Ren was blunt but he had a good heart and cared about other people. This brat didn't care about anyone apart from himself!

"How can I appear in this crappy program with you!" Hiou yelled as he pointed a finger straight at her as his manager attempted to calm him down from what he was saying. Obviously, this manager thought there was some good left in this child. Kyoko felt sorry for that lapse in judgment. "I'll leave a letter containing your name and you'll disappear!" he announced. "I'll leave a letter where anyone who sees it will think that you're at fault! If I do that, my family won't stay quiet especially Gramps!"

Kyoko stared at him as she felt a slight twinge inside of her. No, she was giving this kid far too much kindness to compare him to Corn. Even if Corn wasn't a fairy both he and Ren were good people. They might have their faults and they might be stubborn and have grown up with luxury but Kuon had always tried to do good. This kid, this _brat_ was a miniature Shotaro Fuwa but even worse. At least Shotaro had had some kind of care and brotherly love with the friends he had made even if Kyoko had just been a convenience for him.

"This is just like what I proclaimed," Hiou continued eagerly and with an uncommon visciousness, "You and Kotonami are the same. You won't be able to appear in this industry again. So I suggest—I just want to say this. If the guest suddenly disappeared everyone would be troubled right?" Hiou laughed in an arrogant fashion that deepened Kyoko's memories of Shotaro. "If you disappear right now, I'll stay. There's no replacement for a celebrity like me but there are tons of people to replace you! A newcomer without any face to show. Anyone who does it will be the same," he laughed bitterly and Kyoko started shaking with anger. She didn't want to hurt a child. She didn't' want to use her anger to cause him to a child but this monster would only get worse and worse in life.

"Hey," the brat said arrogantly, "What will you do? Decide quickly. Will you disappear or not…"

Kyoko had had it. She had snapped and she took off her mascot head, delivering him a sharp glare. Maybe it was something small but she wasn't going to let some brat bully her like this. Her dreams weren't going to be destroyed because of someone she could push over with a single shove. She stared at him with a wave of anger flooding through her whole body. She hated this kid. This evil, maniacal brat. She hated him.

"So that's how you cornered Kotonami-san." She stated as she watched him, studying him. She saw him just stand there and that managed to help her control her anger.

"So," he said smugly, "Will you disappear?"

"I won't," Kyoko stated. "This is my job. No matter what happens, I'll give it my best shot."

Hiou stared at her like she was an idiot, "Hmm, then it's decided that you won't be able to appear again forever," he said and Kyoko nodded.

"All right," she said and Hiou stood there stunned. Kyoko wasn't going to let him bully her. She craved her happiness and revenge much more than he knew. He wasn't going to wreck her future because there were ways of rebuilding ones future even with the worst of circumstances. "Try it. It's okay if you put me in such a dangerous position like what you did to Kotonami-san. You'll beg your mommy and daddy and grandpa, right? But I won't let you have everything you want. I won't be quiet without knowing the reason why."

Kyoko looked right at Hiou who was obviously caught off guard by a newcomer treating him with this little respect. "Kotonami-san might have hurt you but for me there's no reason, even if there is one, I can't put up with a child throwing a tantrum without knowing the reason why he is in this state of mind."

Hiou's eyes widened and Kyoko knew this was because he finally was getting a taste of his own medicine. He was being challenged by someone else. Someone he didn't even respect. "You!" he yelled and Kyoko continued to look at him with a feeling of superiority, "I won't forgive you! Making people hear you quietly and treating me like a brat all the time."

Kyoko blinked, what was so upsetting about that point of things. He _was_ a brat and he _was_ throwing a temper tantrum. Just because he was a pro in acting didn't mean he was suddenly an adult. "What's wrong with treating a kid like a kid?" she asked and Hiou growled somehow shaking with anger as that was said. "When I see a spoiled child like _you_ I want to teach him that there's something called hardship."

Hiou stared at her and Kyoko didn't know what else to do so she did what she had always done even when she was a young girl, she kept on smiling. Nobody was going to beat her down anymore. Even life wouldn't beat her down any longer. As she felt her own power growing through her, her demons launched and swarmed around the screaming brattish child.

 **End of Act 84**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to Kaname671 who reviewed Act 83

 _Also, right now Fight Song (instrumental version) is on. (I often listen to instrumental versions of pop songs when I write) Am I the only one who feels a lot of confidence and happiness in listening to this song?_


	86. Act 85 - That's How You Treat Kids

**Act 85 – That's how you treat kids**

As Kyoko exited from the studio after the filming, she was surprised to see Hiou angrily yelling at another person, this kid did not know how to socialize with people. That part might be a little too much like Shotaro. Kyoko could see the frustration on his face and then she paused as she heard Moko's voice.

"Hiou-kun?" Moko asked seeming to have genuine concern in the way in which she was talking with him. "How's your head?" she asked and Hiou looked ahead of himself angrily. He frowned but remained silent for a moment before sighing. "It still hurts everyday," he admitted and Kyoko could see that he was trying to pressure Kanae to feel guilty about it. "It's so painful that I have been checked on at the hospital recently. There's a crack in my skull," he said as he turned away and Kyoko frowned.

"Liar!" she called out angrily and Kanae's back jolted up. Kyoko was surprised but excited to see Kanae standing there. Did that mean that she had come here because she knew that Kyoko would have to work and she wanted to check to see if she was okay. Kanae was often hostile with other people but did her presence here mean that she cared about Kyoko too much to throw her away.

"It's just a little scratch," Kyoko tried to explain. As happy as she was to see Kanae, she didn't like the way that Hiou was acting especially towards the kind hearted Moko-chan. He was trying to cause her more problems when she didn't deserve it. He had been a brat and although she would fight against him, Moko had seemed to have given up before and seemed content to live in a world filled with shadows. Kyoko saw Kanae turning to her and her grin blossomed onto her face as her eyes showed her excitement.

"Moko-san!" she said eagerly and had a kind of bounciness in her expression, "What's up? You surprised me." Kyoko laughed happily as she tried to get Kanae to look at her. Kanae's face started getting redder but Kyoko found it cute and continued. "Do you have any business?" she asked and Kanae squirmed a little. Kane was mumbling to herself but Kyoko couldn't hear her. The excitement on the sixteen-year-old's face seemed to sparkle from her.

"No…I…" Kanae said before pulling a shocked Hiou towards her, "I came to meet this kid," she said in a nervous manner and Kyoko pouted. Once again, she wasn't Moko's first pick. She had hoped that Moko had come here to talk to her because she knew about Bo but it had seemed that someone else was her priority once again. Kyoko pouted with a sad face and Kanae looked surprised at that. However, as Kyoko turned to Hiou she stared at him suspiciously.

"What's with your face? You seem happy, kid," she commented and Hiou's eyes widened with great shock. His face also turned red and at first he scrambled to find an answer.

"Why should I be happy?" he asked as he attempted to frown and then gestured to the bandages around his head. "Technically this injury was caused by this woman!" he snapped and Kyoko failed to believe him. He had already shown that he was self-involved but also that he was a liar about how bad the injury was. Why was he just attempting to get sympathy? "It's only natural that she comes to see my condition! It's not something to be happy about!"

"It's not that serious of an injury that you need to be visited," Kyoko said as she rolled her eyes.

"So," Kanae said with a troubled expression on her face as she turned to look between Kyoko and Hiou. "Is it true that it's only a scratch?" she asked.

Kyoko sighed and narrowed her eyes feeling extremely critical of the young boy, after all she couldn't help but keep his status as a Shotaro-style brat. "It's true, it's true. He just blew it up intentionally to trouble you, Moko-san."

Kanae blinked hard and then turned to Hiou as he yelled at his manager for betraying him when she told Kyoko the truth. The manager, Matsuda-san bowed her head nervously. She was used to Hiou having moments of being a spoiled child and Kyoko could see that from the way that she and Hiou interacted, it was beyond obvious to someone witnessing it.

"Sorry," Matsuda apologized, "I was asked to explain what happened."

Hiou growled as he turned to her, a few sweat drops on his forehead, "You mean you were threatened, right?" he asked and the manager tried to deny that but Kyoko had decided that right now she wanted most of all to pay attention to Moko. She tried to ignore the conversation going on behind her when she approached her best friend.

"Moko-san," Kyoko asked as she tried to see the expression on Kanae's face and whether the story which she had just been told really was causing trouble for her fellow love me member. "Hey, I've just heard from the manager earlier. Is it true that you threw that kid when rehearsing the drama?"

Kyoko noticed Kanae's stiffness and how she seemed to disconnect from the world around her. There was such guilt on her face and regret. Something deep inside her was causing her this pain but Kyoko didn't understand it. How could throwing a child be a complicated emotion? Was it that he had insulted her about something and she had pushed him. Was it that the statuses of the two of them were causing it so that Kanae could be a punching bag? Then why wasn't she more angry, was she really more concerned with her acting career than her own pride and independence.

Kyoko looked at Kanae and saw that she wasn't responding still. Whatever happened, Kyoko had decided that she didn't want to judge Moko but the other girl was still so reserved. Kyoko sighed. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'm persistent, aren't I?" she sighed and Kanae looked at her quickly. Kyoko hadn't meant to be a bother to anyone.

As Kyoko turned away from Kanae and started walking off to give her some space, she heard Kanae yelling at her from behind. She froze and turned back to see her friend trying to tell her everything. She had gone from saying nothing to yelling in a public space.

"I threw him!" she yelled, "That's right. I threw him. The staff and the performers around went pale. When he fell, Hiou-kun groaned loudly, his eyes were spinning for a while. It can't be helped if everyone thought that I had ill intentions because in that scene I was supposed to be playing together with Hiou-kun!"

Both Kyoko and Hiou turned to Kanae as she released her emotions loudly and passionately. This was unlike her and something must have triggered it. Whatever had happened to her was important enough to listen to and despite her pain, Kyoko was very happy that Kanae trusted her enough to tell her. She had a friend who truly did care about her. In a way that was all Kyoko had wanted and now it was her chance to be the caring friend.

Kyoko moved towards Kanae who had bent down to try to catch her breath. She had said all of that at one time and Kyoko put her hands up warily. Her eyes were wide and she saw Kanae struggling to continue. Something had motivated that type of response to come out. "Moko-san, you don't have to say it to that extreme," Kyoko told her as she tried to figure out the best way of helping her friend.

Kanae blinked back her tears, not wanting to show such lowly and unglamorous emotions on her face despite showing her insecurities and the holes in her own protective armor. "But I thought children would always be happy if they were treated that way," she stated and this caused everyone to look at her in shock. That wasn't the normal response. Children didn't really like to be thrown around even when playing and yet Moko seemed so certain that that was the case.

It didn't make sense to Kyoko and as the silence was cast upon them, Kanae had a chance to collect herself and stand up with confidence instead of with the fear and raw emotion that she had finally given Kyoko a chance to experience. "I didn't think just a throw would hurt him. I can't even imagine that in a dream," she said and Hiou's jaw dropped in shock. He didn't understand the words that she was saying anymore than Kyoko did.

However, despite all that armor, Kyoko knew that her best friend was a truly kind and wonderful person who would never purposefully wish harm on someone else. Maybe she bristled at the thought of friendships that didn't have value but she wasn't someone who was unkind or would maliciously hurt others. Kyoko had seen that. She was independent and could cut someone down easily for a role but she wouldn't go and push them off of the roof of a building. There was a huge difference with that.

"Oh right," Kyoko remembered as she thought about how long she had known Kanae. During the very first time they had encountered each other, Kanae had thrown Maria at her and now Maria and Kanae were friends. Kanae had never shown unkindness towards Maria and instead had just tried to get her away from a place she didn't belong.

Maybe that meant that there was a reason that children should be thrown. Maybe Moko had a twisted logic and thought that children needed to be thrown around. Ren had said that how someone grows up has to do with the way they act, he had mentioned this when they had discussed her school results, but maybe Kanae's parents had thrown her as a child. Something like that would definitely lead to some strange actions on Kanae's part.

Hiou stood still as he looked at Kanae, his question was the same as Kyoko's. "What kind of environment were you raised in until now?" he asked, "Is your family doing a Chinese circus or something?"

The more that was said about it, the more eager that Kyoko grew. She couldn't wait to see the way that a truly rich girl would live. Maybe Ren could tell her some of the things that Kuon had been through and how he had lived but Kyoko would never be able to live out her fantasy hearing what a man could do, she needed to learn about this from Moko. She shook with excitement and anticipation.

Kanae stood up straight and looked over her shoulder at the people around her, Kyoko still feeling excitement from the experience. "I understand," Kanae said with a flow of pride throughout her. "If it's okay, from now on, people who want to know follow me!" she announced.

This was beyond exciting.

 **End of Act 85**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to Kaname671 for reviewing Act 84


	87. Act 86 - Nine Years?

**Act 86 – Nine Years!?**

Kyoko smiled as she put down the phone after calling the Okami-san. She wanted to make sure that they felt comfortable with her staying out after work. She would be returning to the house late and she didn't want to disturb them. Kyoko saw Kanae come out of the convenience store and ran over to her. Kanae looked back at her.

"What?" Kanae asked, "Was that the person you're staying with?" Kanae asked and Kyoko nodded.

"Yeah. It's okay as long as I don't come back too late," Kyoko told them. She smiled in a cute fashion because she liked when people took care of her. She wanted to make sure not to inconvenience them. They weren't charging her a lot of money for the rent and she felt that she at least owed them to not be an inconvenience to them. "They're normally closed but it's okay as long as it's not a bother."

"You…" Kanae said as she looked at her but then took a calming inhale, "In any case. It's good that you called to check if it's all right."

Kyoko tilted forwards to look at Kanae. She wanted to respect Taisho and Okami-san with everything that she had. It was because of these very two kind people that she wasn't struggling in an apartment that was too run down or facing the alternative and bothering Ren never mind confusing the media as to why she was living there. She did miss being by his side so much but she had had a good reason for moving out of that apartment.

"But I have to because I stay there and I know what it's like to be a person in that industry," Kyoko smiled. Yes, she knew all about the long hours that Taisho kept but he never voiced being annoyed at her about it. He was a quiet person so sometimes it was hard to think about how he felt. "So that's all right, and…" Kyoko looked at the bag that Kanae was holding. "Moko-san, did you get something at the convenience store?" she inquired and Kanae looked to the side.

"Just a little makie," she told Kyoko who had a look of confusion spread over her face.

"Did you say makie?" she asked confused, "Like a rolled picture? You bought a rolled picture?" Kyoko asked as she tried to look into the bag to see what it was. Her interest was making itself more present than her common sense.

"It's just something for my family, you know," Kanae said in a vague manner which made Kyoko stop to think about this information. Some rolled pictures for her family. Was this some type of chore that Moko had been asked to do?"

"Is Moko-san's home nearby?" Kyoko asked as she turned from side to side to really gauge what kind of a place Moko lived in. She was excited. Moko must be a rich girl and Kyoko hadn't seen inside a rich girl's house before. She had seen the expensive ryokan and an expensive apartment but not a house with family members. She was very excited to find out what kind of family members Moko had.

"Yeah, I guess," Kanae shrugged.

Kyoko lifted her chin happily as her smile spread out on her face. "I can't wait," Kyoko announced beaming with joy. She turned towards the young boy who was with them and lent down. "Right? Hiou-kun?" she asked and Hiou glared at her. His face was a little red but his voice was still rough.

"What do you mean fun!?" he barked back, "Why'd she throw me?"

Kyoko rolled her eyes. That kid could not stop from being a brat. However, Kyoko could see the awkward way in which he was standing which made her think that his defensive nature was out of protection of his true feelings. Maybe they could get his true feelings to come out.

"Eh?" Kyoko asked with a grin on her face, "Didn't you come because you were worried about Moko-san as well?" she teased which seemed to fuel Hiou's anger.

Hiou stood with his fists by his side as his face was redder than he was realizing. Kyoko must have triggered something inside of this boy. "Wrong" Hiou yelled at them and Kyoko smiled at how much passion Hiou was putting into denying it. It was entertaining to her to see the boy so flustered. "I you know…I…I only came because I was injured and want to know why that person thinks it's okay!"

Kyoko laughed to herself. Somehow this kid was enough of a brat that he didn't think that someone was capable of pushing him or throwing him. He must be pretty secure in the way he was standing out in the industry. Kyoko wanted for him to learn about his bratty behavior and start to act like an honest child who was more understanding.

"Really?" Kyoko laughed as she rolled her eyes, "Is that so?"

Kyoko paused as she felt a little hatred towards Hiou. She felt bad that she was harboring these negative feelings against a small child but he seemed to act so much more like Shotaro. He was spiteful and rude and although he said that he was annoyed by Kanae, could it be that he actually liked her? Someone who had no interest in the person who had hurt them would not be following along with the group. That must mean that he had some type of crush on Kanae.

"Hey you!" Hiou barked back, "Are you listening!? Black demon."

Kyoko paused and turned around to strike Hiou across the head. He smacked him causing him to fall over and had a bump on his head. This might not be the most intelligent thing to do but Kyoko knew that young children should learn respect and this was most likely the first time he had been punished.

"Ah," his manager said as she looked at the two of them in shock. Kyoko looked between them. Maybe Hiou would get angry at her but he would stop being angry at Moko. Kyoko felt the anger from Hiou.

Hiou let out a roar amongst the angry waves that were floating around, "Next time you hurt me you're fired!" he yelled and Kyoko rolled her eyes again. Was that this kid's automatic response?

"It's educational guidance," Kyoko said in a bold manner as Hiou continued to growl in response to the attack. "To not be so spoiled when you don't really know a thing," Kyoko announced and then stood firmly in front of Hiou. She didn't care how fast he recovered, he shouldn't keep being a brat. "In showbusiness it's not just about your place in society. Your behavior is important." Kyoko tried to scold him but Hiou was shaking with anger.

"Speak to your senpai with honor!" she told him as she put a hand to her chest, "That is the common sense of common sense. I am also much older than you! I am obviously your senpai in life," Kyoko said with pride. She looked down at Hiou feeling the confidence inside of her. "You should want to be a little more respectful."

Kanae poked Kyoko on the shoulder, tapping her to get her attention. Kanae turned to her wanting to know what the problem with her giving this type of speech was. Kanae turned to Kyoko before gesturing to Hiou. "This person," she said referring to the brat that stood in front of them, "Is a showbiz veteran of nine years difference over us." She tried to inform Kyoko who was caught in shock over that statement. He seemed so much younger and less mature than either of them. "He is very much _our_ senpai."

"Nine years?" Kyoko asked as she looked at Hiou in shock. She hadn't actually asked how old he was but he _was_ a brat. He couldn't be older than nine years old though that was older than she had expected him to be. "He…if that's really true," Kyoko said a little taken aback, "Then he was in showbiz from the time he was born."

Hiou's manager shook her head, "No," she tried to correct Kyoko, "Hiou-kun's debut was when he was two years old."

Kyoko stared at the boy in shock. How old was he!? She tried to think it over. Nine years of acting plus two meant that this brat that she had thought was an annoying child of about six or seven was…how old was he?

"How many times you gonna check it!?" Hiou yelled very annoyed about what was going on. "I'm eleven years old!" He yelled and Kyoko paused. This meant that he was in the sixth year of elementary school. It meant that he was nearly a teenager. She had really thought that he was seven years old but he was eleven.

"Then next year?" she asked in shock and Hio growled at her again. Kyoko could see the anger pulsing through his body as he looked like an angry dog.

"You got it!" Hiou snapped at her and Kyoko looked at him, taken aback by just how angry he was. This was more than being a brat, this actually scared her a little bit and it was over his age!? "Up until now everyone has known but you so don't act so surprised!" he said and Kyoko felt herself twitch in shock.

"You take one look at me, see a common brat and treat me like one" Hiou said as he looked right at Kyoko. Kyoko felt that this was what made him the most angry. He had such a power in his face that proved that this was what was making him the most upset. "Upon hearing my real age she didn't act surprised," Hiou announced. "When I met them, she was the only person of them all who didn't!" Hiou tried to explain and Kyoko blinked in surprise. Wouldn't anyone be caught off guard by how old he was.

It was more surprising that somebody thought that this was normal and that he didn't look that young. The person must be strange themselves and be able to take in any kind of information like that. Kyoko saw the way that Moko and Hiou looked at each other. It was like a lost trust in Hiou's expression but shock in Moko's. Could she be the person who wasn't shocked by Hiou's real age?

"Well," Hiou sighed, "About that, you were among the first ones, okay!" Hiou shouted back.

Kanae blinked and Kyoko could understand where Hiou's feelings were coming from. He had been excited that somebody saw him how he really was but then she had thrown him and something had gone wrong.

"Hiou-kun," Kanae said in a gentle manner which Kyoko didn't really feel that the kid deserved. "Are you saying…" she approached him. However, just as Kanae was going to say something to him, there was a voice behind her and Kanae's back instantly straightened. Her eyes widening.

"Huh? Hey!" a woman said in a joyful manner, "Hold on a sec. Is that Kanae over there?" she asked.

Kyoko was extremely surprised when Kanae had an alarmed look on her face. Who was this woman?

 **End of Act 86**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	88. Act 87 - Throw Those Children

**AN:** Yeah, for a few chapters I'm not going to deviate. I know this work is Yoshiki Nakamura's. The Dark Moon chapters will start to be quite different because of the relationship with Kyoko and Ren.

 **Act 87 – Throw those Children**

Kanae flinched as she turned to look behind her at where there was a woman with two young boys holding onto her. Kyoko blinked as she took in the woman. She wasn't wearing designer clothes and didn't look like a rich young lady but somehow she knew Moko.

"Yeah!" the woman smiled as she waved to Kanae, "Long time no see," she said with a huge smile on her face. "When was the last time? How are you?" the woman said and Kyoko turned to Kanae who seemed to be becoming a little stressed already.

"It's Kanae Nee-chan!" one of the little boys said and Kanae seemed to shake in irritation and this made Kyoko more confused. Kyoko generally liked the way that Maria looked up to her as an older sister type but this didn't seem to be Moko's reaction when it came to these members of her family, were they part of her family. "Do you know them?" Kyoko asked as she blinked in confusion. Kanae flinched again.

"Kanae Nee-chan!" the little boys yelled as they ran towards her at full speed. Kyoko was amazed by how fast they reacted and how excited they were to see Moko. Of course, she couldn't blame them for being excited by Kanae, she was always excited to see Kanae. Kanae seemed to grab something from her bag and tossed them a far distance seeing both boys rushing after them.

"Take this!" she yelled before grabbing Kyoko's wrist and running at full speed, dragging the other Love Me member behind her. Kyoko was in shock as she was yanked along. What had happened? Why did Moko throw those things to distract the two young boys. Who were they? Were they really her brothers?

"Wha-" Kyoko said as Kanae dashed even faster with Hiou and his manager trailing behind them. "What's wrong Moko-san!?" she yelled and Kanae's facial expression turned even more determined.

"Hurry up!" she yelled back, "with the news circulating from before, the run-away-toy won't last long!" she said and Kyoko felt a twinge of panic go even deeper into her.

"What? Won't last long?" she asked very confused and Kanae didn't even turn back to look at her. "Who was that woman!?" she asked and Kanae shook her head.

"That is a demon! A money eating, demonic woman," Kanae announced without hesitation and Kyoko stared at her in deeper shock. What did that mean? That woman had looked kind and warm but Moko was talking about her as if she had a secretly evil plan. Kyoko didn't really understand it but Kanae snatched something from her pocket and handed it to Kyoko as all four of them kept running. "Anyway, you hold this! Don't drop it! It's the key to my room!"

Kyoko looked at it before smiling, maybe this was still going to be the kind of rich fantasy that she had wanted for Moko. Ren had a similar card to open his apartment but of course they looked different. Kyoko thought about the type of elegance that Ren lived in. This mansion that Kanae was living in must be something extremely high class. She had been correct about Moko being the -the -

As they got to the building, Kyoko stared at it. It looked like a very normal house. It surprised her since it was so normal. She stared at it studying it. This was completely different from the environment she had been envisioning.

Kanae turned to look at Kyoko, still trying to catch her own breath. "You good?" she asked as she saw Kyoko's confused look and Kyoko blinked back at her. "If we also meet a person of my family, we'll never make it," she tried to explain. "We'll take the key around to the garden and use the door there." Kanae stopped as she saw Kyoko with tears in her eyes.

"Uh…why are you crying?" she asked in an uncomfortable manner and Kyoko just turned in her direction.

"It's nothing really just withdrawals from my self-generated fairytales," Kyoko told her. She was a little disappointed and she could admit that to herself. She had hoped that Kanae would be treated like a princess with designer wardrobe and designer clothes but now she could see that Kanae was just a regular girl who wasn't pretending in front of her. Of course, she should have realized this sooner because Kanae was having as many problems as she was paying for the acting classes at LME's training school, she had just let her imagination run wild like it had when she had thought Kuon was a fairy prince.

Kanae blinked but they heard the door open and Kyoko could see another boy standing there. She saw Kanae's back straighten as they both heard the noise. This time, there was a boy and two girls who were looking at Kanae excited.

"Kanae nee-chan!" "It's really Onee-chan!" "Onee-chan's back!"

Kyoko blinked as she saw the three children and turned to Kanae as Kanae looked horrified in their direction. "Your siblings?" she asked and Kanae shook with shock as the three children ran towards her once again. Kyoko stood confused as the children launched at Kanae and Kanae drew more treats from her back which made the children stop before they could push her down. Just like a matador, Kanae threw the treats behind her and instead of jumping on her, the children ran after the treats. Kyoko was completely confused about this but Moko told them to keep running.

"That was awesome Moko-san!" Kyoko said sounding very impressed by this, "Very impressive! A rare sight inde—" As they entered the house, there were even more children there who were looking at the bag that they saw Kanae holding excitedly. They wanted treats too and Kyoko was surprised that kids could get this excited over candy. She had enjoyed it when she had been treated as a child but nothing like this. It was as if this was some strange item they needed for survival.

Kyoko saw about six children run out and she pulled back, how many siblings did Kanae have? They were attacking them from all sides and Kyoko wouldn't be surprised if Kanae told her that they were multiplying in number. They seemed to just appear as if they were created instead of real people.

Kanae pointed forwards at a door that had a card slot, "Quick!" she told Kyoko as she pointed, "Open that door!" Kyoko looked at the door. It looked like a small apartment inside of the house although there were no windows or any way of looking inside. Kyoko was surprised about this, it seemed like a strange part of the house much different from everything else within it.

Kyoko quickly opened the door and then ran in. She was expecting to see the items that Moko had such as a bed or futon, maybe a table but instead she saw four people sitting there playing cards. She blinked. She hadn't expected this. Who were these people?

Kanae fell to her knees as she saw the people at the table. One of them men had more wild hair that was pushed back and the other had more of a formal and professional appearance. There was one woman with long brown hair and the other with short hair.

"Isn't that Kanae?" the older man said as he looked up from over his cards, "Long time no see, were you well, little sister?" they asked and Kanae looked at them, her body shaking with anger. Kyoko was feeling that there wasn't a reason for them to be there or if there was a reason it wasn't something that Kanae didn't like.

…..

…..

After Kanae had stepped into the room and things seemed to calm down, the eldest son pulled out his phone, the eldest daughter had a drink, and the second son was taking a photograph of Kanae, Kyoko, Hiou, and his manager.

"Yeah, it's true mother," the eldest son sobbed as he hung onto the phone tightly. "That unsociable aloof Kanae has finally brought home a friend," he reported.

The eldest daughter stared at her younger brother with tears in her eyes, "Don't you think it's cruel?" she asked to no one in particular, "Not even introducing her to me! When she saw me that girl ran away, you know!? And I was so happy to see her after so long and then gave a prompt report at home."

The second son sat with his camera towards Kyoko and laughed, he had more of a laid back and casual style, this must be something that he felt he could do since he wasn't the eldest brother. He definitely di have a striking difference when it came to his appearance. "That's because every time you see her you always say, lend me some money and extort money from her," the brother admitted and Kyoko blinked.

His sister leaned forwards, her voice still showing her pain, "That's cruel! People who didn't pay rent, got kicked out of their apartment, and then came home like you guys don't have a right to say that," she said and Kyoko still twitched. She wasn't sure what she was doing there and how these people were acting. Were these really Moko's family members? Kanae really had a large family with three older siblings of her own, two sisters in law, seven younger siblings, and multiple nieces and nephews. It was truly the largest family that Kyoko had seen and they all seemed to live together, it was something that she didn't think that she would see.

Kanae sighed as she turned to Kyoko, "It's really hard," she said with a sigh, "even if we don't have the money, our parents'll go on a trip for their anniversary." She gestured to her older siblings, "Sis got snared with a useless man who lived on her money, so she came extorting money from her little sister."

The elder sister sighed as she looked away and Kyoko could sense a slight embarrassment from that, "Because Kanae's the one with the most money," she explained.

"Both my elder bros selfishly made a duplicate key of my room and landed my whole family on me," Kanae said as she gestured to them and they turned to one another, still looking a little sheepish just as the older sister did.

"Because the master bedroom's so cramped, I'm ashamed of myself," the eldest brother said and Kyoko looked at them. As she turned around she missed the fact that all of Kanae's younger siblings and nieces and nephews had grabbed onto her again.

"My little sisters and brothers and nephews and nieces don't even think about one's convenience only caring about their own desires," Kanae said as she handed Kyoko a tray of drinks and Kyoko took it. She stared at Kanae, how she was able to move with so many kids on her was shocking. It took a lot of strength in order to not be weighed down by them.

Kyoko could hear the children begging to be played with and she froze as she saw Kanae's angry face appear. She seemed to toss each child off of her, throwing them across the room and both Kyoko and Hiou stared at her in shock. She was throwing the children? Is this what they were referring to as happened on set? Kyoko blinked. If this happened on set it finally made sense to her but why, why was Moko-chan throwing all the children? Wouldn't they get hurt? There were far too many questions.

 **End of Act 87**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 86

Kumioko

 _There will be a new scene added next Act_


	89. Act 88 - Brother or Sister

**AN:** I will admit that I kind of rushed through this first scene, hope you don't mind.

Also Happy 2020 Everyone.

 **Act 88 – Brother or Sister**

Kyoko blinked in shock after seeing Kanae throw her siblings so many times. This wasn't the type of homelife that she had imagined _anyone_ having. The way that Moko threw her siblings looked like… "Seems like they're playing," Kyoko said before turning to Hiou. "If that's why, it's not wonder Moko-san threw Hio-kun when acting playing with kids." She said and Hiou's eyes widened. Was he realizing that too?

"Acting is not just starting from scratch," Kyoko said and Hiou sat there silently, "Things you've done in your daily life sometimes unconsciously come out," she commented. Kyoko was brought back to when she had helped Ruriko and those things that she had learned at the ryokan had come out unintentionally. Experiences were a part of a person and this might be why HIou had that experience with Moko-san. She would have to keep her mind focused on her acting.

As Kanae tried to catch her breath in front of them, all of the children finally asleep, Kyoko laughed weakly. "Moko-san, I now really understood why you made a mistake while acting," she stated and Kanae looked at her whilst panting. "Hiou-kun?" Kyoko said as she turned her attention to the younger male, "You understood too, right?"

Hiou hummed and looked down dismissively, "Yeah," he shrugged and Kyoko smiled. She was about to talk about how this might lead to repairing the working relationship between Hiou and Moko but Hiou cut her off. "As I thought, I was being treated like a kid like we saw just now from the first time we met." Hiou had an annoyed expression on his face but he stood and pointed at Kanae, "Not being surprised by my age was a pretense, right? You lying woman!" he snapped, "I won't be surprised with just that."

Kanae looked back at him before picking up two young boys who were pretending to eat imaginary food, "That's because, Hiou-kun," Kanae started to explain. "These two kids, they're eleven years old just like you."

Kyoko's eyes widened as she studied the boys she had thought were much younger. They seemed about six or seven which was the same as Maria but Moko was saying how much older they were then Kyoko expected. Kanae went to different members of her family talking about how they looked much younger than they actually were.

Hiou laughed bitterly once Moko explained her family to him, "That means I was given the same treatment as those childish siblings of yours. In the end I was still treated like a child."

Kanae blinked as she looked to him, "Same treatment means? Other than being hit did something else happen?" she asked and Hiou turned to her in slight outrage. Kyoko looked between the two of them, there must have been something which had happened.

"Don't act all innocent that day when you hit me! When we were eating lunch you pinched my nose and tried to force me to drink orange juice, those are things that you usually did to your siblings that time as well." Kanae blinked as Moko looked at him. Somehow this was really upsetting him and Kyoko had a feeling that Kanae had had the same experience as her and she was living in the role unable to break her way out of it.

It didn't surprise Kyoko when Kanae finally said that it was because she had enjoyed acting the role with Hiou and that was why she was unable to stop being the character. Kyoko had to admit that the training school itself _was_ a lot different than when she had been around the actors on Ring-Doh. That was something she could often feel from Ren, he breathed acting. For some reason, this feeling of closeness that was growing within the family and between Hiou and Moko made her want to call him.

She blushed, no, thinking things like that about Ren were selfish. She couldn't just call him up about nothing.

…

…..

Ren sighed as he stood outside of the president's house. He had been asked here to talk about some odd behavior that he was going through and he had been trying to get a replacement cell phone. He had been able to stop Yashiro from destroying his own by talking about his real feelings but he had hoped that the president wasn't in the know about those particular details.

"Thank you for waiting," Ruto bowed as he stood opposite to Ren. He gestured to where the president was just getting out of the swimming pool despite it being the early morning. The first time that he had met with the president was to talk about the existence of Dark Moon and the fact that he would most likely be asked to perform the role, this was something more serious. "Please," he gestured, "I will show you the way."

Ren followed to beside the swimming pool. There were a lot of thoughts recently that had come from knowing about the remake of the famous drama and the interview with Kuu and Ren didn't want Kuon to be showing through the false identity of Ren Tsuruga.

"You've come, Ren" the president said as he welcomed him into the house and Ren nodded.

"Good morning, president," he replied with a nod of his head. I'm very sorry to disturb you this early," he said as they made their way to the president's private room.

"No. It's okay. I don't mind, lately I'm always awake around 4:30," he said and Ren smiled as he followed to where they could sit and talk.

"You can't sleep?" he asked and Lory shook his head.

"I'm watching one of my favorite love dramas and it's lucky for you that I am," the president said and Ren blinked. What on earth did that mean? "I have the spare cell phone that you were looking for, no scandalous action, correct?" he asked and Ren shook his head. He looked away trying to understand the comment that the president had made but it was gnawing on him.

"Why is it lucky for me that you're watch-" he began and the president turned to him.

"You want to act in a romance drama and yet I know you've never experienced love. However, I have been seeing something in your behavior and I'm curious. Are you in love with anyone? That's the way of creating a role and I've always told you this. Now, you seem like you're barely breathing inside of those clothes," Lory said as he picked up a cigarette. "Is there a woman involved?"

Ren paused before looking away trying to think of the best way to handle this, the president however cut him off before he had to say something.

"Impossible," he coughed, "You're a boring man, something like that wouldn't come out of your mouth."

Ren fidgeted anxiously. There was a woman that he loved but he needed to keep that as private as possible, besides, it wasn't as if he actually loved her but he had feelings of wanting to care for her and feelings of wanting to protect her. He would have to keep those feelings from developing. If he fell in love with her, he would only hurt her. "Excuse me, president," Ren said as he turned to the doorway, "I have work so I'll be."

"Ren," the president said in a low voice, "Sit," he gestured to the chair in front of him and although Ren gave a quick glance to the door again, he knew that he was stuck. He sat down and saw the president staring at him with a frustrated expression. "You are too clean," the president commented. "There should be a lot of women who would want to get near you but because you never appear in any of the gossip columns, they find you uninteresting. You also force situations clearly so that all women who try to approach you are to be treated as a friend only."

Ren bowed his head feeling slightly relieved that Yashiro hadn't explained that there was a special woman in his life now and that Ren was doing his very best so that she wouldn't know the importance that she had to him. He wanted to be able to be a gentleman and concentrate on acting. He didn't want to allow himself any precious feelings of love.

"I'm not telling you to play with women either," the president continued, "I don't like meaningless relationships too. Just fix your personality and be a little more social or else you will never know other people's good points. If you don't know then you won't have feelings for other people."

Ren bowed his head sadly, so the president was able to read into his body language that deeply. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with anyone but he wasn't allowing that to happen. Well, the president always knew how to investigate a character, it was truly a surprise that he didn't know about Kyoko already.

"Well," the president sighed, "I understand your reasons for not wanting to get close to other people but I worry about your future as an actor. Until now you have somehow covered it up but one day it will surely be revealed. Even if you fool Japan, I won't be deceived."

Ren looked at the president feeling a little pressured, he knew that the president was leading to a point and an important one at that. The president knew how to say things that applied to Ren in a way no one else would.

"Your acting skills on love is too fake," he said and Ren stiffened a little. He had sacrificed so much that he always felt a personal attack when it was acting rather than anything about him that someone had an objection to. "I get this feeling every time I see you acting in your dramas. Fortunately, you were saved because romance was not the main point in the dramas you've acted in but you're already twenty. You won't last if you can't act in a very hard romance drama. _Especially_ if you want _that_ role."

Ren looked down. He was suppressing his love but he needed to acknowledge it, how was he supposed to even do that without letting his curse affect the person who had his heart.

…

…

Ren looked out of the window of the apartment. He had made so many sacrifices to reach this part and to be playing the role that he was just offered, a character called Katsuki in Dark Moon, would be a sign that he was heading in the right direction of his career. However, there was a heaviness inside of him because it would mean performing a role that his father had done, a father that didn't care about him all that much anymore.

He looked forward at the convenience store riceball and was about to pick it up and hold it in his hands but his phone rang and he smiled. It was her number. He sighed, no, she wouldn't be just calling him for no reason, she needed help but whatever help she needed, he would make sure that he gave it to her. "Hello," he said with a weak smile as he picked up the phone and held it to his cheek.

"H-H-Hhhi, C-ccorn, Kyoko," she said in a quick manner and he laughed without meaning to. She was really adorable and even though she sounded panicked, he couldn't help but think of how adorable she truly was.

"Hey, is something wrong?" he asked in a comforting manner.

"No," she replied and he smiled as he listened to her voice, he was really falling for her but he shouldn't do anything, he wasn't allowed to have anything precious because he would tarnish anything precious to him and especially any _one_ precious to him. "I was…I'm at Moko oh…Kotonami-san's house and I was thinking about you and…and…I called without realizing."

"You called without realizing?" he repeated before chuckling. He smiled. That meant that she wanted to talk to him or maybe it was that his voice was comforting to her. No, he shouldn't be putting too much emphasis on these words. Maybe it was because of some acting problem that the two were dealing with. Even if she only saw him as a mentor in the industry, he wanted to help her as much as he could.

"I'm sorry," Kyoko apologized, "Is that okay? I was just…do you have siblings?" she asked.

Ren paused as he listened to that question. He had often wondered whether his parents would have another child once he left home. They had had him quite young so it made sense that they would replace him but he believed that were that to have happened, he would have heard from the president about such an event. He sighed, "No. No, I'm an only child," he replied and Kyoko paused.

"Sorry I just…" she said as he could tell that she was fidgeting, "I'm sorry. I wanted to ask you that. I'm sorry that it's such a weird and random question and strange reason to ca-"

"I don't mind," Ren said before laughing weakly. "I can tell you however that were my parents to have had another child, that child would have been their favorite. They weren't so lucky when they only had me. I almost wish that I had a sibling though, maybe I wouldn't have ended up as such a disappointment."

There was silence on the other end of the line and Kyoko was struggling with how to respond to that.

"Let's move onto other things," Ren said, "How about we have dinner together again? Sometime soon?"

"Yes…" Kyoko said hesitantly with a nod. "Yes, I'd like that, Corn."

 **End of Act 88**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	90. Act 89 - Sisters and Secrets

**Act 89 – Sisters and Secrets**

Kyoko had her hands together and a wide smile on her face as she sat at the table with Moko's sister the following morning. The first thing that she had done that morning was to phone Ren. She had no idea still why she had done it but hearing his voice had given her the happiness which she had desired. Soon she would be meeting with him once again and that always excited her, The meal which she had just eaten was very much enjoyed. It was a small meal but it was the feeling of being with people who loved one another that made even a small meal so warm and delicious to her.

"Thank you very much for the meal," she grinned happily.

Kanae's sister laughed weakly as she watched the kids around her hungrily eating. Kyoko knew how hard it would have been to take care of all these people. It was something she had never thought about but it must be somewhat nice to belong to a larger family.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Kanae's sister replied, "but sorry for such a simple breakfast meal."

Kyoko shook her head, she didn't want to seem ungrateful especially since they had opened their house to her. Maybe a less respectful person would demand more food but such disrespect was completely out of Kyoko's nature. "Not at all," she argued, "Rice with ajinori, scrambled egg, and miso it's a perfect Japanese breakfast. You are too kind."

Kanae's sister laughed in appreciation and again Kyoko got that warm feeling of family and home that was foreign to her. She wasn't going to say that Sho's family's ryokan was her home, yes she had grown up there but it wasn't somewhere that she would ever own. She laughed weakly, that would be too arrogant to claim that inn was her home.

"I must apologize too," Kyoko said with a weak laugh. "I intended to go home last night but you were kind enough to let me stay for the night."

"No," Kanae's sister said as she shook her head, "It's fine with us. Recently the security around the neighborhood is lacking. I would be worried if I let a young girl like you walk home alone."

Kyoko saw the concern in Kanae's sister's eyes and laughed weakly. The Okami-san had said something very similar to her and it just made Kyoko think about how Kanae was struggling so much that she had to sell her services to the men she had seen previously. In fact, Kanae had told her that they hired her as an actress to work for them but Kyoko had the feeling that it could have easily crossed the line if the actress were someone other than Moko. Besides, the fact that she had been convinced to stay for the night meant that she had her first experience at a friend's house and that was an experience that she had wanted to have since she was a little kid. More than that she wanted to deepen her friendship with Moko and - and -

Kyoko felt numerous things hit her in the back as something rumbled and fell and she found Kanae's sister to rapidly be pulling things off of her and apologizing. There were landfalls in the house? What was more concerning were that these kids who loved to be thrown weren't even bothered by things falling on top of them.

"Aaah!" Kanae's sister screamed in a panic, "Oh no! I'm sorry, are you all right? Be careful local quakes occur easily in our area," she tried to explain. "We just keep on piling up our things which is a lot so it's become like this." Kyoko looked around. Yes, there wasn't any floor space and only in Moko's special private room did it seem easy to be lived in. This was nothing like the expensive apartment which she had paid for when Shotaro wanted to live in luxury but that place was always filled with loneliness and want. It would be better to live in a place that was cramped but there was that feeling of being wanted, that attachment.

Kyoko laughed as she shifted some items from herself, "It can't be helped," she smiled weakly, "Your family is big and you need a lot of things for life."

Kanae's sister kept laughing weakly as if feeling a little ashamed for everything but she wasn't the only one living here and the family staying together seemed to be more important to her. "It's okay if you say it honestly. It's because we're poor. We can't throw away things and of course we keep every thing we've already got. All of our family members are conservative because we're poor. To tell you the truth, the outside looks good only because Kanae used her money to fix it up. She's still paying the loan." Kanae's sister sighed and sat down again, "Actually it's fine with us but Kanae said she's embarrassed with our old ruined house."

Kyoko laughed weakly as she thought about the previous night when Kanae had shown her a photograph of what the house had looked like before the repairs had been made. Moko-chan wanted to be an actress who was capable of being called 'Japan's actress' and that meant that she needed her life to be admired and for people to admire her. It would have been a travesty if that picture that Kyoko had seen had been the house that Moko had had. That place truly was a dump and Kyoko hated to say that. She didn't want to insult anyone but she agreed why Moko had wanted to change it so badly. It was this kind of thing that made it so that Kanae would do unexpected things for money.

"She became worse after she entered junior high," her sister continued to explain before staring into space as if entering a heavier way of thinking, "She built a separate room. Since then until now, what did she do to get that much money. She didn't do something illegal right?" the sister turned to Kyoko a look of dread was now covering her face. "Did she sell drugs or people's organs. Is it because we're so poor. Is she living a life of crime."

Kyoko coughed, she didn't want for Kanae's sister to get the wrong opinion of her. Although Kanae was doing something strange she wasn't harvesting anyone's organs. "About that….I don't think you have to worry…"

Kanae's sister grabbed Kyoko's arm, a panicked and desperate look still across her face. "Do you know what Kanae is doing?" she asked and Kyoko gave a quiet yes, "What's up with her!?" the sister said as she looked around, Kyoko starting to see the care that came with a loving family that was much different from the one she grew up in. "Why did she tell an outsider when she didn't even tell us, her own family! So mean! She's a meanie! How dare she make her only big sister feel like this."

Kyoko looked at the woman in front of her. She didn't want to admit it but the words that Kanae's sister were saying about her being an outsider made her feel that she was unwanted. She knew that it was because sisters wanted to be close to one another and the way that Kanae's sister was feeling was only because of how much she cared about a person so private as Kanae but Kyoko wasn't just a stranger to her. Kyoko had wanted to be the person who Moko talked to the most and she didn't want to surrender that role.

Kanae's sister quickly turned to Kyoko almost pouncing on her, "What does Kanae do!?" she asked and Kyoko stiffened. Yes, she had some privileged Moko knowledge and this was a family member of hers but being a trusted and true friend meant that you kept the secrets from others. It was a secret and special bond that she and Moko were sharing and it made Kyoko excited. She could be trusted more than Kanae's own sister.

"I'm sorry," Kyoko apologized as she looked forward, feeling the comforting warmth of being someone's support. She wanted to treasure those memories. "That's something I cannot say."

Kyoko finally was able to feel the emotion she had wanted the most. She had the feeling of having a special existence in Moko's heart that was as important as her family to her. She was someone who could enjoy the closeness of a treasured friendship. Kyoko had always wanted to experience such a friendship but when she was in grade school she would be shunned and people wouldn't want to be her friend. Now she was being nurtured by her friend Kanae. It was the same type of feelings that she had when she knew that Corn would protect her despite not being a true fairy prince. She was chosen. Both of these people had chosen to keep their friendships special and precious and she would choose each in the same manner.

She truly didn't want to disappoint either of them because these feelings of friendship were important and they were things that Kyoko wanted to protect with her heart. She didn't want to sell either of her friends out. Their love and affection was more important to her than any money or cosmetics even if it only stopped at friendships. These secrets were important for her to keep for both of them. She would never let either one of them down.

Kyoko tried to feel these strong emotions but felt something else land on her. She froze and felt the item that had landed fly away from her. She blinked and looked up, laundry? Laundry was flying around? Curiously, she stood, going to look out of the back window.

Flying around as if a robot was Moko, she kept hurrying back and forth whilst doing the laundry and with her hair tied back and with her acting so much like a housewife, Kyoko couldn't help but to think that this was very different from the glamorous Moko that she knew. She opened her mouth a couple of times astonished before finally clearing her throat and speaking a little more loudly.

"Mo—Moko-san" she said and Kanae stopped, hearing her voice and looking towards her as if she didn't know that she was there. That made Kyoko feel a little bit more self-conscious. "Why are you washing clothes? Did you forget to have breakfast?"

Kanae turned to her and twitched as Kyoko continued to watch her. What had happened?

 **End of Act 89**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	91. Act 90 - A Small Prince and Older Foody

**Act 90 – A Small Prince and an Older Food Lover**

Kyoko turned to Kanae with a smile as they both sat down together. They faced the laundry that was waving back and forth in the breeze. Kyoko smiled as she saw Kanae's frustrated and worn out face, she was still very excited that she was able to spend the night with her first female friend. "So that's it," Kyoko said as she sat with Kanae, "Moko-san is responsible for washing clothes."

Kanae frowned. It was obvious to Kyoko that Kanae didn't like the task but that's how it must be with so many younger siblings who weren't able to truly care for themselves and the parent away. Kanae sighed, "because both of our parents are working," she started to explain to Kyoko. "The ones who take care of the housework are my big sister and I."

Kyoko laughed softly, she saw Kanae turn to her and she looked away with a smile. She didn't want to be rude and laugh at her friend but it made her feel a little bit of a connection with the girl who was sitting next to her. "Moko-san, you said I gave off a typical housewife vibe," Kyoko commented before grinning. "But Moko-chan, you're quite a typical housewife too. I can't do such a light speed washing. You're better than a housewife," Kyoko said as she giggled.

Kanae groaned in response showing her anger and distress, "Keep on laughing," she complained, "That's why every time I see you, I see a bit of myself and become angry, it's been like that since the first time," Kanae told her and Kyoko stopped laughing as much. Kanae continued and Kyoko felt the laughter to be more inappropriate. "You made me remember the scent of detergent. While I work so hard to stay away from home to forget my typical housewife-self and put an actress face."

Kyoko sighed and looked down. She had to admit that she wasn't living a glamorous life at all and she already had so many debts to pay and money that she owed. Unless she married a rich guy like Ren she would be having to deal with paying people back for years to come. No. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that marrying someone with money would help her, that would only be taking advantage of someone else's kindness and generosity.

Kyoko was starting to think about all the debts that she owed when she heard Kanae give a weak laugh that showed her low spirit. She stared ahead of her and Kyoko could imagine that she felt her world crumbling around her. "But, maybe I won't be able to show that actress' face again in the entertainment world."

Kyoko looked at her, trying to figure out what had happened that had caused that pain on Kanae's face. She had believed that when Hiou had returned home, he had no longer been angry at the situation. Kanae had explained it to both of them and if Kyoko understood it then Hiou must have as well. "Why?" she asked curiously and Kanae sighed.

"Because Hiou-kun's face when he went home last night. It seemed like he was still angry," Kyoko sat there silently. She didn't think that the emotion that Hiou had had was anger or frustration. She had felt that he was pouting because he had been proved wrong and he didn't want to admit it. "Last night, I wished to show Hiou-kun that I didn't harm him on purpose or with evil intentions," Kanae continued. "I hoped he would forgive me but it seems real life is not that sweet."

Kyoko felt a little awkward as she sat there with Kanae. She knew that Kanae cared a lot about being an actress and that might make her view of the situation narrow a little bit but Kyoko was having different vibes from the situation, surely the best thing to do was tell Kanae what she had observed. "Moko-san," she said with a weak smile, "It won't happen."

Kyoko leaned in playfully as she saw Kanae's confusion over what she had just said, "Hiou-kun's angry face you saw is because he understood that Moko-san didn't treat him like a kid and without realizing it, his face began to loosen up." Kyoko could remember that smile that the kid showed. It was one time when he actually looked more like a sweet boy than a terrifying brat. "So, he tries to hide it so it won't be discovered."

Kanae stared at her in silence and Kyoko waited for her to react. Did this mean that Hiou really admired Moko or that he had even started to have a crush on her, would Moko be able to recognize that. "Weird…" Moko commented and Kyoko blinked as her imagination started to tell a story about an unrequited crush that maybe Hiou-kun had on Kanae.

"It means that more than about the injury that you gave him, Moko-san," Kyoko attempted to explain, "Maybe he is more irritated to be treated like a little kid." Kyoko did sense that when Kanae compared Hiou to her own siblings he had seemed a little irritated because he had thought that she wasn't treating him as a professional actor.

Kanae leaned forwards and Kyoko knew that she was blind to what the situation was really about which was very unfortunate for Hiou. "In other words," Kanae asked, "Hiou-kun is happy when I treated him like an adult instead of a kid? That's why his face is loosening up?" she asked and Kyoko knew that this was the way Kanae's brain worked, everything revolved around her favorite thing, being able to act and to perform,

"Yes," Kyoko nodded as she turned back to Kanae. That was nearly correct. There was a lot that Moko was missing but it was up to her to discover it for herself.

"Hmm," Moko thought to herself, "So maybe, Hiou-kun is…" she mused and Kyoko laughed. Yes, Kanae was figuring this out for herself so it wouldn't be a big surprise were Kyoko to tell the truth about Hiou. "Right," Kyoko nodded, "Right, Hiou-kun must be in love with Moko-san."

Kanae spoke at the same time as Kyoko, "Not angry with me anymore," she said before she was struck silent by what Kyoko had just said. Kanae looked at Kyoko in a strange manner as if she had just revealed that fairies were real. "Huh?" she asked and Kyoko smiled.

"Maybe this time he's furious because he likes you," Kyoko tried to explain because it was too late to put her words back into her mouth. The only thing which she could do was to say them truthfully. "A beautiful big sister who accepted him normally the first time, so he holds a small flame of love in him but suddenly he was treated below his real age so he was shocked." Kyoko could see the way that Kanae was staring at her as if she found her to be insane and it was pissing her off. Kyoko, however, continued to talk about the experience she felt she had witnessed. "Yeah, for Hiou-kun, it's hurting his pride as a man."

Kanae looked frozen as she stared at Kyoko appearing to be very annoyed by those words, "What?" she asked with a stone face.

"Moko-san, you know Hio-kun is eleven years old, right?" Kyoko tried to explain and Kanae nodded slowly, not quite following where Kyoko was going with this. "It's natural to have one or two crushes."

Kanae looked up into Kyoko's eyes feeling a little awkward about all of this. She spoke in a very uncomfortable manner, "Wait up, please think first before you talk," Kanae said as Kyoko paused patiently, "How many years do you think the age gap is between Hiou and I?"

"Only six years, right?" Kyoko asked as she blinked not sure why that age gap made a difference since there were a lot of cartoons and shows where an elementary school kid might have a crush on their teacher. Compared to the twenty or thirty years that were there, six years seemed realistic. "It's still quite possible."

Kanae shook her head, "It's impossible," she argued but Kyoko didn't change her mind on this. All of the clues seemed to be there in plain sight. You didn't have to have a degree to acknowledge the situation for what it was.

"If you think of it in normal ways, it's weird," Kyoko said honestly as Kanae stared at her, not knowing the meaning behind her words. "You say that but you were acting as if you were the girlfriend of a college guy yourself," she said referring to the person Kanae had told her that she had been acting as a girlfriend to so that his stalker would leave him alone. "Do you have any special feelings towards that college student?" Kyoko asked. She had seen the way that Kanae had smiled and the twinkle around her that made it seem like an actual date. Kyoko couldn't convey that with acting yet and maybe there was a deeper tie for Mo –

"No way," Kanae denied leaving Kyoko speechless, "He's only a second year college student," she said casually, "It's not like he's an actor who can appreciate my pro acting. Special feelings?" she laughed before shaking her head casually, "It's pointless. How can an amateur heat up me, an actress?"

Kyoko was stunned at how Kanae had reacted. She really did truly care about acting. Kyoko knew this because when Kanae had explained what she had been doing she talked about things like watching videos, reading in order to research, and trying to fit into the characters she had been assigned to play. She had changed her appearance, her voice, her mannerisms but all of those things had been a copy of who she had been hired to play. Love was less of a motivating force for Kanae than it was for Kyoko and Kyoko felt a link between them in that.

Still, it wasn't really that she needed to make the characters in order for the people who hired her to be pleased, that would mean she would have no need to be in the Love Me section. Her way of developing and forming her characters was all due to the passion and desire she had for acting.

Kanae coughed which pulled Kyoko out of her thoughts, "How did we get from Hiou-kun to my part-time job?" she asked and rolled her eyes. "Just what were you thinking?" Kyoko stood quietly as she rolled her eyes and attempted to come up with an explanation. She had truly said those things because if Kanae had shown an interest in the college guy then those emotions could be explained with regard to Hiou. It didn't seem that that was an option anymore.

"Anyway," Kanae sighed and Kyoko found her attention to be drawn back to her friend, "When I was an elementary schooler my motto was Hana Yori Dango, Food over romance," she said and Kyoko watched her. She had already had dream of marrying Sho at that age and that she wanted to be his wife. She loved him and always wanted the two of them to be together. That meant that she had always favored Shotaro over food which seemed stupid in hindsight.

"That's why it's impossible for Hiou-kun to love me," Kanae reasoned to herself and Kyoko watched her. She didn't want to intrude on this situation further when Kanae appeared as if her world was crashing down around her.

"Maybe you're right," Kyoko said before they heard a voice from the side. Kyoko paused, that voice, it sounded just like.

"Kanaee!" Hiou yelled as he made his way towards the area where the two of them were, "Kanae. Are you awake!" he yelled before pushing through the clothes bitterly. "What's with this huge amount of clothes, it makes it so hard to get through. How annoying."

Kyoko looked between HIou who was approaching them and Kanae who looked shocked at the fact that Hiou had even been there. He had come back because of his want to work with Moko-san.

"I won't acknowledge you if you're not awake yet!" Hiou announced and Kyoko felt an excitement inside of her as Hiou moved towards them like a small prince getting off a horse for Moko who was his princess. "I came to get you," Hiou said as he stood in front of her. "We're going to work, Kanae," he said and Kyoko smiled.

Hiou definitely seemed to be a much better person than he was yesterday and the happiness in Kanae's face was something that Kyoko was incredibly happy to have witnessed. That was the type of happiness that led everyone else to feel that same way themselves.

 **End of Act 90**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	92. Act 91 - Friendship and Secrets

**AN:** Chapter is much shorter than the usual but I thought I would end it at the place I did rather than continuing. Next chapter will include the telling of the job and Shotaro.

 **Act 91 – Friendships and Secrets**

Kyoko was extremely excited to be going to eat dinner at Ren's apartment. She missed spending time with him and having heard that both she and Kuon were single children had given her some further connection to him. It wouldn't matter though if she had a sibling or not, they would have probably left her alone as well. Her family was like that. Ren though, Kuon, he didn't talk a lot about his own parents.

She had decided to bring some ingredients with her this time. Maybe they weren't the priciest of items but they should do the job in making something for the two of them to eat and it would give her peace of mind that Ren was actually eating and had leftovers. As she knocked on the door of the building, she heard the noise of him buzzing her up.

People kept looking at her. She knew why. She didn't have elegant or flashy clothes, she wasn't wearing makeup, her hair wasn't styled in an interesting and glamorous way. How could someone so…poor be entering such a luxury apartment? Kyoko sighed feeling self-conscious but as she took the elevator to the penthouse and saw Ren standing there waiting for her in loose casual pants and a tee, she felt a longing in her chest.

"Good evening," she said with a bow as she stepped out of the elevator and lifted the bag that she was holding. "I brought food."

"Great. I was trying to decide where you might want to go and eat," he said before leading them to his door and opened it for them. Kyoko shifted nervously. Had he wanted to go out to eat at a restaurant? She didn't have the type of clothes that might be suitable for going out anywhere where he would usually go with a woman. Kyoko blushed deeply as she thought of herself that way. No. She was his childhood friend, she wouldn't be seen by him as anything other than that.

As she came into the apartment, Kyoko saw a script on the table as well as some DVDs. She tilted her head to the side as she passed it. She was interested in what work assignments he got and what his preparation was to play the character. Was this some type of higher level of acting preparation? She stopped. Maybe she should model what she did in the future on what she saw happening here?

"Don't mind that," Ren said as he turned to her with a smile. "It's just the latest drama that I've been asked to work on. It's a remake of Tsuki ga Mori." Kyoko blinked up at him, she hadn't heard of that drama, it wasn't something that Shotaro's parents had played for her. "I've been asked to play the main role of Katsuki," Ren continued to smile and Kyoko nodded.

"It must be really high profile," she laughed and Ren approached her. He put a hand to the table right next to where the book was.

"High profile is right. It's apparently going to be the hottest drama of the year, once more and more parts are decided upon the news and media attention is going to be…scary," he laughed and Kyoko tilted her head as she continued to stare at the script which he had just closed. Was this what an offer looked like when you were a professional actor, being given a script to read through and then to say yes or no to it rather than audition. There was still a lot that she didn't know.

Kyoko stopped as she looked at the pictures on the DVD copy. "Is this the man that you'll be portraying?" she asked as she showed him a picture of the main couple and saw the way that his face paled and he turned away.

"Can we just start cooking together or talk about something else?" he asked and Kyoko nodded slowly. She reached down to put the video down but her finger went over the name Shuuhei Hozu and then in brackets, Kuu HIzuri. She froze as she looked at it.

"Is Hizuri Kuu your -" Kyoko asked and Ren turned to her awkwardly.

"He's my father," Ren said as he gestured to the script. "I'd prefer not to go into any further talk about him. I idolized him as a kid, I idolize him now but he…he wouldn't care if I was alive or dead. All that he cares about is that I'm not making problems for him and his polished reputation."

Kyoko stared at him confused but then nodded. It was hard to have a parent who didn't care about you at all. She put the videos down. Her curiosity about what kind of a person Kuu HIzuri was could wait until later. Hopefully he wasn't some foul mouthed actor who was abusive behind the scenes. "Okay," Kyoko nodded not wanting to tell Ren that he was loved because she really didn't know that much about his family situation. "How about we get started on dinner."

"That sounds great," Ren nodded not knowing that soon he would be working on this emotionally heavy drama with the girl he had developed feelings for. He looked up and at his reflection in the window. He could see the disapproval and hatred on his dad's face at having such a brat be related to him. He had once been a son that his father could love but not anymore. He would never be able to do enough to have his father be proud of him.

…

…..

Kyoko grinned as she and Maria found her, each of them had given Kanae gifts. Maria's gift had been something called the hand of glory. It was a severed left hand of the dead because whoever receives it will have good luck and whoever holds it will gain its demonic power of evil. Maria had apparently picked it up from a reliable source and this made it have a more creepy feel to it.

Kyoko's gift was handmade by Kyoko, of course. This was a curse doll which was a small imitation of the real thing, this time being Kyoko herself wearing her Love Me uniform. Whoever was to own this phone charm would be protected from disaster and would hold the power of protection.

After the two girls had both given their gifts to Kanae, who had stood there staring at each of them with a little bit of shock on her face, Maria and Kyoko both launched confetti into the air whilst calling out, "Moko-san, congratulations on your comeback and debut as an actress."

Kyoko stood there in front of Kanae hoping to see some kind of reaction but Kanae seemed to be speechless over the gifts. Kyoko didn't notice that the girl seemed to be a bit worried in holding them. She had made and given a present to Moko and that type of feeling brought them the closeness that Kyoko had always desired of a female friend.

…

…

Kyoko froze as she faced Kanae whilst they were in the acting class at the agency. Moko had a dark energy around her and Kyoko felt a little threatened by her. Moko's voice was low and cold, "I've told you all my secrets," she told her and Kyoko flinched. "Are you still planning to keep your secret hidden from me?" Kyoko flinched not knowing how to respond to that. Moko's life revolved around acting and so she had the same kind of feeling as Ren but none of the childhood memories grounding her. "Isn't that unfair?" Moko told her and Kyoko kept flinching.

"But…but Moko-san," Kyoko said as she took a step away from her, "If you knew my secret you'll definitely hate me."

Kanae put a hand on her hip with a heavy frown, "You don't know that."

"I know," Kyoko nodded convinced that because Kanae had dedicated her life to the acting world that she would not tolerate such a self-centered reason for Kyoko immersing herself in the world that Kanae loved. She didn't want to insult her but Kanae seemed insulted _not_ to know the secret.

"So you won't say it no matter what?" Kanae asked almost disgusted. She tore off the charm on her phone and tossed it on the ground, this was the same one that Kyoko had given her to celebrate her having gotten a job. "Then our friendship ends here," she announced and Kyoko screamed. She didn't want for that to be the response. "Good bye" Kanae said as she turned and walked away with a frustrated expression on her face.

Kyoko reached out her hand for Kanae. This was taking a risk that Moko was going to really hate her but Kyoko didn't want to lose her friendship either. As hard as it was to do, Kyoko would have to tell her the whole truth about her past and her insecurities about her latest job offer. Well, she couldn't tell Moko about Kuon's father but the rest of it she could.

 **End of Act 91**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewer of Act 90

Kaname671


	93. Act 92 - Cons of Our Secret Friendship

**Act 92 – The Cons of Our Secret Friendship**

Kyoko stared at Sawara-san in astonishment, she hadn't expected to come into work that day and be told the news that she was just listening to. This was the type of information and good news that someone gave to people other than Kyoko Mogami. This was a job request and not only for any job but for the one that Ren was playing a main role in, the one where Ren – Kuon, was following his father's lead. She didn't know how to respond to this.

She stared stunned at the head of the talent department, "Drama?" she asked as she blinked feeling as if she had stepped into a dram. "A request to perform in a drama for me?" she asked as she pointed to herself. Of course she would be unsure about this. She was a high school student, part of the LME actors training program, and more than that she was a Love Me member and her work was now being requested.

"Yes," Sawara nodded with a weak smile, "See? You don't believe it right? I also asked them again and again," he told her and Kyoko couldn't get her breath to calm down. What had she done to gain this – was Ren, no acting was far too important to Ren and he would never act so unethically as sneaking her roles in dramas. Still, if Ren hadn't gotten that role for her -

"This is a great one," Sawara continued, "A remake from a big hit drama series twenty years ago. Nonethless the masterpiece will be the main topic this year." Kyoko stared at him, her eyes growing bigger and she pinched herself to make sure that she was still awake. This seemed like some type of either very weird dream or the calm before the storm of something bigger. Why wasn't such a great piece being offered to Kanae, Kanae had more acting experience and talent than her and Kanae was also getting other acting offers so why couldn't such a big drama go to her.

"It seems you were greatly recommended," Sawara commented and that made the fear build a little in Kyoko. She had been _greatly_ recommended? Who the heck would recommend her? "By Producer Asami Haruki to Ogata-shi, the drama's director."

Kyoko paused, her ear twitching as she heard what he had said. She had taken that job offer wanting to get revenge on Shotaro and despite it almost making Ren's trust in her crumble, she had taken hold of her feelings and done her best to produce something worthy. Now she was being told that it had helped her take a step further in the world of showbusiness. A dark cloud seemed to swarm around her and she turned back to Sawara-san, "You mean that…Fuwa Sho's"

"That's right," Sawara said as he looked scared of her. He didn't understand Kyoko's dark negative energy and Kyoko really didn't appreciate the fact that he didn't understand. Apparently Sawara-san considered her as a huge Sho Fuwa fan. He had attempted to give her a treat as an audience member before when it had been Fuwa and thank god for that chicken suit because she hadn't wanted to meet Shotaro at that point of her career. "The same producer who's in charge for Fuwa Sho in Queen Record," he said referring to the music studio, "It seems Asami-chan is an old acquaintance of Ogata-shi. Among some main characters, it seems he couldn't find any actresses that fit his image so he discussedit with Asami-san. Then Asami-san showed him Fuwa's PV which contains you in it. It seems Ogata-shi was falling for your act."

Kyoko turned to Sawara still with a deep suspicion for where he was going with this but at least it would hopefully mean a step forward in her career. She didn't want to hear anything dumb like Shotaro would be leaving his ugly and dirty footprints in the middle of Ren's great work.

Kyoko paused for a moment as she heard Sawara start to relax and he smiled softly, "He said he really wants you to participate," he said and Kyoko felt her back straighten a little. "So, what will you do?" he asked and Kyoko paused. She felt put on the spot. She had been wanting to know more about Shotaro's involvement in the drama that she hadn't thought of what her answer would be.

Kyoko fidgeted. She could accept this without worrying about anyone finding out about her true feelings for taking the job with Shotaro, couldn't she? Nobody would need to suspect her. Still even though the reason why she was getting the opportunity to act in such a high profile role was unpleasant to her and she would rather be seen for things that she was proud of it would allow her a chance to act. Still, maybe she was acknowledged for doing her best at being in the video as the angel who turned into the devil. This would also allow her to experience more roles of a variety. It only made sense to take the offer since it would increase more aspects of the self that she wished to nourish.

"Oh, that's right," Sawara told her, "I forgot to tell you the most important thing, that the drama's main actor is Ren."

Kyoko blinked as she heard that without any type of reaction. She already knew that since she had been over at Ren's apartment and had seen the DVDs of his father who he didn't want to discuss as well as the script. She knew that it was Ren but…but maybe the fact that it was Ren meant that he should be surrounded by veteran actors. The last thing that she wanted to do when it came to her precious Corn would be to drag him back and make it harder for him to accomplish his dreams, she wanted to see him flying high in the sky after all.

Sawara watched her, "Huh? You really don't have predictable reactions," he said and Kyoko blinked at him. "With how big a star Tsuruga-kun is, you don't…"

"Oh," Kyoko said as she blinked and nodded quickly. Despite her understanding of their friendship and despite the fact that they had told Ren's manager that they were childhood friends who had gotten together in a rare and unexpected way now they were both older, nobody else truly knew this. Her eyes widened. She should have been acting as if he were some higher being, right? That way nobody would get suspicious of their connection. Wait. That wasn't something either of them wanted and it would mean they would have to behave as strangers and if Kyoko slipped up on that secret then Ren might never fulfill his wish.

"Please," Kyoko said as Sawara looked at her completely confused, "Let me think about it for a while."

….

….

Kyoko looked down at the floor as she sat with Kanae, she wanted to tell her everything but Corn was just as precious a friend to her and Kyoko didn't know if she would be able to not lose his trust if she didn't hide certain facts away. Still, she had such a strong desire to appear in the drama and the role was one of a rich young lady which was a role that she had always wanted to play. Everything inside of her was pushing her to do it but she didn't want to create any risk for Ren and his dream. Corn was treasured to her and for more than his friendship but would he say it was foolish of her not to think of herself when making this decision.

Kanae stared at her as Kyoko's brain almost exploded from all of her worries, Kanae's voice was smooth and low but she had concerned eyes. "You…" Kanae said as she stared Kyoko in the eyes, "You're worried over something, right?" she asked. "You're always acting weird but…"

Kyoko screamed internally. She wanted to keep her friendship with Kanae but she had no confidence in where to start talking about this. Kanae loved acting which meant that hearing Kyoko's desire to join LME would be hurtful. Kanae probably would take whatever role she was offered so she wouldn't give a fair view to spoiling the drama for someone else. Also, Kyoko didn't know whether she could trust Kanae with the secret of her and Ren being friends because that might mean that everyone would find out. Still, she valued her friendship. She also didn't want Kanae to misjudge her for selling her heart out to Shotaro and coming to live with him in Tokyo only to be ditched and find out how easily he had been duping her. Would there be any chance of Kanae respecting her following that admission?

Kanae felt extremely angry by the way that Kyoko was acting and she looked away from her as the charm lay discarded on the ground between them. "you should spill your secret to me," she demanded but Kyoko fidgeted. She didn't know where to start with her secrets and she didn't want to lose their friendships. No, There had to be some way of handling this carefully and skillfully.

….

…

Kyoko sighed as she finished changing in the locker rooms from the loose and casual clothes from her acting class to her every day clothes. She was still being haunted by the knowledge that she hadn't told Kanae the truth and had been making up lies and half-truths about the reason why she couldn't say but she had gotten caught anyway. She would have to admit to those horrible things in her past.

As Kyoko looked up to where Kanae was closing her own locker, she opened her mouth to speak but Kanae quickly turned away, coldly ignoring her. Kyoko felt the tears in her eyes and she started to question about her worthiness as Kanae's friend. Kanae had told her something that had been a guarded secret to her and now Kyoko was keeping something away from that precious female friend.

Kanae was right, she had discussed something personal and even showed Kyoko the home life that she was trying to keep hidden away from the public. Kyoko wasn't brave at all. Kanae was trusting her with important things and she wasn't trusting Kanae. She had to be a much better friend than the one she was right at this moment.

Kyoko would need to respond somehow, Kyoko looked at Kanae and with her desire to talk to Kanae it was almost as if Kanae was held captive and was being dragged over to Kyoko. Along with negative and desperate emotions, Kyoko had always realized that her energy was different from most other people's. She hopefully had some kind of connection with Kanae which made it easier for the two of them to have a conversation at this messy point of their friendship.

Kyoko stared after her. Well, it was now or never. She would have to beg for forgiveness from Kanae and hopefully they would maintain their friendship. There was really only one person more important to Kyoko right now than Kanae but he would understand. Corn always seemed to understand. '

 **End of Act 92**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to **Kaname671** for reviewing Act 91


	94. Act 93 - Secrets Revealed

**Act 93 – Secrets Revealed**

Kyoko looked at Kanae with a bowed head as they sat inside of a karaoke box, after all it was a true saying that in Japan the most secretive of talks could be held within a karaoke box. Kyoko had told Kanae all about the secrets behind her moving to Tokyo and Kanae was looking at her stunned. Kyoko feared that this would be a point in which Kanae would say that she didn't want to be friends with Kyoko because of her selfish desires to act.

"I," Kanae said showing her disbelief in what Kyoko had just confided in her, "always thought that you were Fuwa Sho's fan or worshipper."

Kyoko looked up with a combination of shock and horror on her face. She hadn't wanted to hear _that_. She didn't want to be put amongst the number of people who actually were fans of that idiot and she couldn't believe that's what people thought of her. She wanted to hurt him, not be with him. She wasn't that moronic to fall for such a horrible and sleazy guy. What was Moko thinking?

"You are mean!" Kyoko screamed as her face looked as if she had just spotted a ghost. "What a great misunderstanding, it's embarrassing."

Kanae reached a hand out for Kyoko which gestured for Kyoko to calm down from this great shock, "Calm down," she advised, "It's already cleared."

Kyoko sobbed onto the chair feeling fortunate that she had cleared up such a grave error in judgement. Her? Supporting _his_ career? No. She wanted him to taste defeat and be knocked down by society, she wanted him to suffer in a similar manner to how he had made _her_ suffer.

"Anyway," Kanae said in a neutral manner, "I'm really surprised to think that you and Fuwa Sho have something like that between you guys." Kyoko sobbed not wanting to acknowledge that as well. It definitely made her seem like the Sho supporter that she actually wasn't. "What about selling this to the media?" Kanae asked and Kyoko looked ahead of her, her eyes tired but she took a steady breath.

"Something like that," Kyoko replied, "Couldn't enlighten my feelings. A scandal would only be effective at drawing people's interest at the beginning. It wouldn't last two years in this kind of entertainment world. I can't forgive that."

Kyoko turned to face Kanae, her expression turning a little darker. No. Two years wouldn't be enough time, there had to be something that she could do to scar Shotaro and so she would be patient and wait for his defeat. She had already devoted so many years into trying to make him happy. She had spent so much money on things that he liked. She had filled her brain with so much information about him. No, there had to be some deeper way of hurting him and that was her desire behind joining LME or it had been. There was a lot that she enjoyed about the agency and now she knew she could use acting to nourish her soul.

"Well," Kanae said as she let her head rest on her hand, "You're right. Money can be brought back but not with the time. Two years is too short," she agreed and Kyoko nodded. However, as the words that Kanae had said sunk in, Kyoko looked surprised. She had believed that Kanae would criticize her and scold her and disown her but Kanae appeared to be supportive and on her side. "Anyway, I think you must participate in that drama and secure your position in the industry."

Kyoko turned to her with a slow blink wanting to understand Kanae's reasons for having said that. This hadn't been the reaction which Kyoko had been expecting. Maybe it was a reaction that made her happier than if Kanae had not wanted to be her friend but it wasn't what she had thought would have happened.

"Moko-san? You're not angry with me?" Kyoko asked a bit surprised, "I entered the entertainment world to get revenge on him."

Kanae sighed as she watched Kyoko, "You…when you were acting, was there any thought of Fuwa Sho in the your head?" she asked and Kyoko blinked hard as she listened to that. She hadn't felt anger in that situation, instead there was joy when she had finally learned to live within the role that she had been given. Whether it was the angel who loved her friend and didn't want to see her get hurt or even just reading those lines for the drama with Ren, she had loved trying to nourish herself and take in these new opportunities. It gave her a feeling as if she was alive which she hadn't felt before.

Kyoko shook her head with a smile as she reflected on the happiness that she had when she acted, it wasn't what she had expected when she had joined the agency but she was thrilled to have experienced it.

"I thought so," Kanae commented, "Seeing your expression, I knew it when I saw you in the training place. You weren't practicing acting in order to get revenge." Kyoko paused. She had felt excited to be learning new things and to be polishing herself as an actor when training. She put all her energy into it because she enjoyed it. She most likely enjoyed it more than her thoughts of revenge.

"If after this, you appear in more dramas and become more and more famous, you can finally put Fuwa Sho in shame," Kanae continued as Kyoko felt her words wrap around her heart like a blanket both warming and protecting her. "That's the result. Because, despite of revenge, that's what you get if you have the skill." Kanae sighed heavily and a happy smile appeared over her face, her eyes conveyed to Kyoko that she was deep in thought. "When I partnered you in the play, you were purely enjoying the play."

Kyoko nodded happily, her cheeks turning a little red as she watched her best friend. Kanae really did seem to know her and those were the signs of a very good friend. Kyoko hadn't really had such a connection with anyone, maybe with Corn but not really anyone else. It made her overjoyed.

"Moko-san, thank you" she cried and Kanae thrust a box of tissues in her direction.

"I know already, mo," Moko said with a sigh, "So quickly dry your face. You're an entertainer aren't you?" she asked and Kyoko grabbed a tissue, wiping away her tears.

"And what about Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said. She had only told her the bare minimum of them actually being friends in secret but she hadn't told Moko about when they had met in childhood or the fact that she knew Ren's real identity. She had said how Ren had seen her in an unfortunate situation and had used his kindness to give her a place to stay before she got back on her feet and how it had seemed important to him that they not discuss their friendship to others. "I don't want him to think that I only am taking the drama role for revenge and I don't want to hurt his reputation if people found out about us."

Kanae turned to the side, "I understand why he doesn't want you connected with him. He doesn't want people looking at you in a negative manner or only referring to you as Ren Tsuruga's friend when you have acting dreams and ambitions of your own. Still, he probably only reacted angrily because you lied to him. I would feel pissed if you originally lied to me but it sounds like the two of you were able to work things out so just tell him the truth about the drama."

Kyoko looked down with a sigh, "I still don't want him to get angry or have the wrong idea. When he learned that I only joined the entertainment world to get revenge on that guy he was really angry and disappointed in me because acting is one of the most important things to him. I hope that by taking the role in the drama he won't be annoyed. I mean, I don't understand his feelings sometimes," Kyoko thought aloud.

Kanae snorted at this before humming, she could read Ren Tsuruga's actions easily but it didn't seem that Kyoko was quite aware of what was happening. "Somehow before it was related to revenge but suddenly he's upset at you again?" she asked before shaking her head, "So, he didn't like it when you went to meet a guy you've loved from the bottom of your heart in the past, right?"

Kyoko paused. That language sounded disgusting to her and it wasn't as if she actually _had_ loved Shotaro from the bottom of her heart. Okay, maybe she had but she definitely didn't want to be reminded of those circumstances.

"Somehow," Kanae said, "Isn't it like jealousy?"

Kyoko paused. She had tried to push her feelings for Ren away, after all he had told her numerous times that he couldn't have anyone precious and that she was told that she shouldn't fall in love with him. If he was jealous did that mean that he carried emotions for her? No. That wasn't it, she was feeling too good about this, too spoiled. He didn't love her. He had made that clear that he wasn't in love with her.

"Maybe, Tsuruga-san is in love with you," Kanae thought aloud and Kyoko paused, her eyes widening. No. She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't let herself believe it. She wasn't that lucky. She stopped with her eyes wide and her jaw dropped. What was Kanae saying? No. Maybe to an outsider it looked like that but that simply couldn't be the case.

"No. I know Tsuruga-san and I know that that isn't the case," Kyoko argued. "He's already made it clear to me that he doesn't love me. I think that there must be some other reason," she said starting to sound desperate and Kanae hummed again.

"Okay, mo, so if he isn't jealous I can only think of one thing," she mused and Kyoko blinked. "Tsuruga-san is still upset that you lied to him and didn't trust you. He may feel that he would have understood in the beginning were you to accept that role but you didn't even tell him. He figured out that you were doing it for revenge and is afraid to see you go down that path again. He cares about you but he doesn't trust your judgment."

"Perhaps he feels upset about the fact that instead of coming to him honestly, you tried to hoodwink him," Kanae suggested and Kyoko paused. She bowed her head again feeling like a terrible friend where Ren was concerned. Of course he would be upset about that but she had apologized and he had seemed to accept the apology. Would it be okay for her to hold him within her heart or would that still be selfish?

 **End of Act 93**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 92

JeremyXD, Kaname671


	95. Act 94 - If Tsuruga-san can't do it

**Act 94 – If Tsuruga-san can't do it**

Kyoko had truly considered asking Ren if she could borrow the videos of Tsukigomori that his father had appeared in but she had decided against it. She wanted to test herself by trying out new roles but she wanted to prove to him that she could do it. She didn't want him to be disappointed in her before she could even make an attempt to prove herself. However, when she had decided to try to play Mio, she had gone to Sawara-san and asked to borrow the book.

He had been happy because she had been so enthusiastic about it and he said that he was impressed at her for wanting to read into the depths of the work in an attempt to create the character she had been requested to play. She knew that there were most likely many actresses who wanted to play the role but since she had been given the opportunity, she wanted to do her best to make everyone proud.

Most of all she wanted Ren to be proud.

That might be the reason she hadn't told him yet. He knew that she was completely inexperienced and the connection between himself, his father, and this work also seemed very very important. Kyoko grinned as she looked at the cover of the book. If she worked really hard then maybe she could be there to support Ren whilst he tackled this. She also hadn't expected for them to retrieve the work so quickly but that's what a top entertainment agency would do, always be prepared.

Kyoko grinned happily as she looked over it, remarking out loud with a playful grin, "Well, I can't wait until the script is done." She kept reading as she walked along, flicking through the pages. "Hmm, if I'm not wrong they said my role was the little sister of the woman who's disturbing the two main roles. I know she's a young later from a good family. I wonder what her name is and what she does."

Kyoko thought all of this aloud as she flicked through the pages hoping to find the introduction of her character. She looked through the book again before she heard a sobbing coming from nearby. It sounded like the crying of a frail woman. She was sobbing about something and Kyoko couldn't help but to conjure up and image of a woman wearing a white kimono. Maybe there was a ghost who was haunting LME or maybe it was something different, a fairy come to life maybe.

She looked to where the noise was coming from and saw a frail man in a suit, he still seemed fairly young but he was crying in a way that made Kyoko think of his possible fragility. Who was this man?

The man's hair wasn't exactly long but the way that it seemed to fall made it seem longer and more elegant than it was. He had a small frame that seemed to fit perfectly into the suit that he was wearing. His skin was almost transparent with the paleness of it. He appeared to be coming from some Gothic romance. One of those British Gothic novels perhaps, the ghost from some garden. He really did look like a ghost or as if even exposure to harsh light would make it so he would fade away. Kyoko slowly looked around feeling like she was the only person there. If she was then didn't that mean that the idea of him being a ghost was even more likely?

As Kyoko fell deeper and deeper into her own thoughts, she heard the familiar voice of Ren's manager and paused as she watched him approach the man. So, he wasn't a ghost, other people could see and interact with him.

"Director Ogata," Yashiro said as he stepped forward handing a drink to the young man, "Please have a drink and calm yourself," he offered.

The man, the director looked up, his face still showing a sense of innocence but also of tragedy. He had tears in his eyes, something that many men would feel ashamed to show. He took deep breaths in, "Ah, thank you," he smiled with relief.

Kyoko sighed, so he was a real person. He was just a very rare type of person with his white-colored and neat suit and his fragile appearance, he was one of the men that seemed to come from classical literature. In fact, the way he was almost bestowed the title of princess upon him. Kyoko paused and shook her head quickly. It was rude to say that about a man. She didn't want to be rude, maybe it was better to lea-

"It's okay, director," Yashiro said as he tried to comfort the director, "Ren himself is saying that he accepted this job, so…"

Kyoko paused as she heard Ren's name and stopped. She had been intending to walk away so that she didn't become an eavesdropped but this seemed something to seriously concern Ren and she wanted to support him. Corn mattered a lot to her and she wanted to help him however she could especially since he would tend to prioritize her own concerns above his work. He had pretended to be a fairy because she had wanted for him to be a fairy.

"No matter how much Tsuruga-kun wants to participate, if President Takarada opposes it then…"

Kyoko blinked hard. There _was_ something that was blocking Ren's path to his dreams and it just so happened to be the president? For what reason would the president have to not permit Ren the chance to follow his dreams. It didn't make any sense to Kyoko.

"I'm also shocked, you know," Yashiro commented as the two talked in a very calm way but Kyoko could hear the pounding of her heart from inside her chest. She wanted to protect Corn's dreams and sacrifices. "He didn't say anything and I've already put the drama work into his schedule." Kyoko thought of how much Ren had been haunted by the success of his father and how she had her mother's disappointment be a source of her disliking herself. If she had the chance to prove to her mother how strong she was and that was taken away then Kyoko would feel pain in that as well.

"What's the reason for the president's opposition?" Yashiro asked and the director sighed, he cast his eyes downward as if he had lost hope in what was going on around them.

"He said, I won't lend out Ren for your drama, he didn't exactly say the reason," the director commented. The director sighed in a very pained manner, "If Tsuruga-kun cannot take part it will be impossible," he stated.

All of this was too much for Kyoko, she wanted more than anything to protect the dreams that Ren was fighting so hard for. She walked over to them, putting her bag on the floor and kneeling in front of them, doing it without hesitating. She would usually have been asking to join the conversation but this involved Ren and she wanted to make sure that his sacrifices were worth it.

"I'll be unable to make a Tsugigomori which is better than twenty years ago," the director commented but as he looked up, he was completely shocked to see Kyoko staring back at him. Kyoko looked down, the book in front of her and her bag at her side as Yashiro stared at her as well. She looked ahead of her again and then up at both men who were staring at her in complete confusion.

"Uh…" Yashiro said awkwardly and Kyoko knew she had a determined look on her face which might make her seem cold or like a brat but she wanted to be able to help Ren and becoming a part of this conversation seemed like a good place to start. "Kyoko-chan? What's up?" he asked with a weak laugh showing his discomfort.

Kyoko took a deep breath before replying, "I'm sorry. I was about to go away because you were talking about a serious matter but I'm really curious and I thought it's no good if I'm eavesdropping until the end so I'm asking you to let me hear you talk openly, so I'll sit here."

Yashiro stared at her again. He had been told that Kyoko and Ren were not going to be disclosing the fact that they were friends because Kyoko was trying to get started as an actress, he couldn't use that to explain the behavior to the director. Kyoko knew that's what he was thinking and she tried to plead with her eyes that he didn't give away that important piece of information. She was interested in the drama, that's why she was there, that's what she was going to explain it as. She was a fellow actor who had been asked to perform in the same drama.

"Besides," Kyoko said with her hands together and resting on her knees, "It' not that I'm completely uninvolved in the talk at all," she said with a certain level of boldness that the former version of her would have never guessed for her to have had when addressing a director.

Yashiro looked at her and then at the book on the ground next to her. Kyoko knew he wanted to know why she was carrying that around, if she hadn't said anything then he probably would have believed that she was doing it for Ren. Well, she definitely would have read it of Corn if he asked that she do it for him but that was different than any kind of love.

"Kyoko-san?" the director suddenly asked as he sat up straight and looked at her seeming shocked about who he was addressing. Kyoko couldn't blame him, she would be shocked too by looking at her but he had met new actresses before, right? Would he tell her that she didn't look glamorous enough and then throw her out before they even began reading their lines?

No. She had to try to help Ren. This was something that she could do for Corn and she wanted to help him fulfill his dreams. She really hoped that this could be a way of doing just that.

 **End of Act 94**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 93

Kaname671, luv2readgirl, SpiritedRanger


	96. Act 95 - Did I Love Them?

**AN:** Oh my gosh. I can not believe how long it has been since I worked on this fic, thank you guys for returning to read it 😊

 **Act 95 – Did I Love Them?**

Lory stared at Ren as they sat together in the president's office. Ren had always been an enigma, a rare and unusual character that nobody could figure out. Now here he was apparently jeopardizing his future, at least Ren knew that the president was thinking that. Ren was able to pull off human connection when he acted in scenes especially if there were dramas, he knew enough about keeping people at a far enough distance.

This drama would be a training ground in two main ways. First, he would have to act out loving intentions to a woman when he was already trying to block those feelings from extending to Kyoko. Secondly, he would be following in his dad's footsteps and playing the role that he had claimed as his. Would a good-for-nothing son cut even deeper into family tensions?

Lory pulled the cigar that he was smoking from his mouth and breathed out very deeply, "You want to surpass the Tsukigomori from twenty years ago or something like that, right?" the president asked and Ren lifted his head, staring him straight on. Of course he wanted to do that. He wanted to prove that he could beat his father but walking this way felt like walking into dangerous territory, "It looks like you are just the same with Ogata-kun."

Ren nodded, he wanted to prove his worth. Performing this role, claiming it as his, those were two ways he could make sure that he could clutch onto it, "Ye—"

"Forget it," the president said dismissively.

Ren felt his back straighten and his anxieties rise as he stared at the president. He opened his mouth to argue but it was as if he didn't know the right words, instead he slowly replied, "Please don't decide it before I've tried," he requested and the president shook his head.

"It knew it already," he said as Ren looked down trying to figure things out and how he could get a chance to perform as Katsuki, it was a very important role for him, perhaps the most important one of his career at least until they wrote something bigger, better, and brighter. This was a challenge that pitted him across from his father. "Why did I stop you?" the president continued, "You, yourself should have known."

Ren sighed, "You mean that I'll be crushed because my immature act will be revealed?" Ren asked as he rose an eyebrow. It was more important to place importance on the fact that he had never truly felt what might be described as a romantic love. He didn't know how to defend himself if the words about how he had been a disappointment to his child been brought up. He had to stop thinking of his father, his father didn't think about him any longer.

"Exactly," the president replied bluntly, "Your love act is too shallow, no depth at all." The president sighed and nodded as if expecting that before leaning in. "This isn't about love though, is it?" he asked and Ren paused. Did the president know? Of course he knew. "I think that Shuuhei would be -"

Ren quickly stood up. He looked around feeling more nervous, "Yes, well…the love acting. I mean, I'm not entirely inexperienced. I've loved someone before. I've dated before so I must have lo-"

Lory sighed, he raised his eyebrow again before taking a deep breath as if surrendering to the first problem. "This isn't about the number of girls that you've dated before," Lory told him and Ren paused. He didn't want to go back to the other subject. "The number that you have shows that they are all shallow relationships. I mean, how much is the depth of your feeling? How deep did you love those girls?"

Ren paused before blinking, "How deep?" he asked. "I can't explain something like that. I loved all girls I've dated before and treasured each of them," he protested. Yet, even as he said those words and tried to make the president and himself both believe them, there was still that knowledge inside that Kyoko was different. He could bring up names, describe their personality, remember how they moved, how they felt when he would reach out for them or into them but they weren't like Kyoko. Still, he wanted to protect Kyoko and if his love for her was every encouraged that would be bad. He couldn't risk doing to her what he had done to his own parents.

"Yeah, of course," Lory nodded. "You are a man who's kind to everybody that's not your enemy without any distinctions. You didn't realize that and that is the reason why your girlfriends dumped you, did you?" he asked.

Ren paused. He could only half understand what that meant. Yes, there were numerous times when he wouldn't even consider trying to stand in the way of their happiness. There were times when the girl he was dating would threaten to do something like break up with him to be with somebody else and he would only encourage her. There were times when girls wanted him to buy them gifts and spoil them and he did but they said it was always meaningless since they had been the one to pick out the gifts. Maybe he didn't have spontaneity with the girls he had bee with before but he did when it came to Kyoko.

"Ren," Lory explained as he sat forward and picked up the cigar again, "What you call love is on the level where you could easily resign and smile when your girlfriend told you she's in love with another," he said. Ren laughed weakly. That was true. With all the other girls, what he had truly wanted was their joy but when it came to Kyoko, he seemed much more concerned by who she surrounded herself with.

"It's not a bad thing, right?" Ren asked in his defense, he tilted his head to the side in an adorably clueless fashion. "Well…but that's because they said they had someone they loved more than me. If I think about their happiness, I think it's natural to let them do what they want to do."

Lory sighed and closed his eyes, feeling slight anger as he looked at the man opposite him.

"Did you think your girlfriend really wanted to break up with you?" Lory challenged him and Ren sat there stunned. His father had always told him to let a woman make her own decisions and be supportive of them. His mother had taught him to think of others and to try to bring only positive emotions. He had listened to their wise advice and seen them in love but it had seemed that doing that was the wrong move, or at least, that's what the president seemed to be implying. "What was her expression? Her behavior? Did you feel that even a bit from her words?" he asked and Ren paused as he reflected on his sad past.

Ren paused. Yes, people didn't always say what they meant with words and as an actor, he really should have known that more. Even when he was younger, he wanted to be an actor one day so he should have been noticing any nonverbal cue as well. Not only was he not a very considerate young boy, he was also clueless to normal human socialization.

"That time, she was looking at me as if she was expecting something big…if I think about it now, when she said she wanted to break up with me, was there really any guy who she stared at passionately. Usually our eyes didn't meet either," Ren began muttering to himself and the president coughed to clear his throat.

"Ren, she never said, let's break up from her mouth even just one word, right?" he asked and Ren paused feeling idiotic in that. He had thought that she would. However, he had just done what was most respectful in his mind. Still, as the pieces of his romantically lacking past came together he realized just how many times he had just stared into Kyoko's eyes wondering what she would say. No. He was tempting himself with her. She was too good for him.

"She was expecting you to be jealous and stop her. She wanted the real proof that you loved her. She was just testing you," Lory told him and Ren bowed his head. If he had been through this before then maybe he should stop here before he hurt Kyoko further.

"Ren," Lory finally said in a more relaxed manner, "If love becomes serious you'll lose your composure. It makes one not care anymore even if he looks lame and messy. Can someone like you express it?" he asked and Ren froze. He was wondering that of himself too. He didn't want to look desperate and as if he were failing. He didn't want to risk making himself vulnerable or hurting others. "The feelings of a man who loves a woman so dearly but suppressed those feelings inside of himself with all of his might."

Ren paused. He felt that he could do it. That's how he currently felt with Kyoko. That's how he had felt with his parents. He wanted to contact them. He wanted for them to contact him but the phone never rang, no mail was intercepted by the president, there was nothing that connected him to them any longer. He was their no good runaway son and if Kyoko really knew how bad he was for the people he cared for then would she reject him as well.

"You can tell me the truth," Ren said as he looked up at Lory who was about to speak, "You once told me that when we are inside this room, this is a private area in which I can speak things I would never say to anyone else, correct?"

Lory eyed him suspiciously, "Is this Ren Tsuruga speaking to me?" he asked wondering if he should draw the blinds.

Ren put his hands on his knees and looked up. He took a deep breath in and asked a question that Lory would never have been expecting, "At what age did my father start hating me?" he asked and Lory's jaw dropped, the cigar landing on the floor. What kind of question was that?

 **End of Act 95**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 94

Kaname671


	97. Act 96 - They Don't Care

**AN:** Since I hadn't written this story for a while, I forgot to have closed third person perspective instead of limited. I'll try to remember next time so that's why it reads a bit differently

 **Act 96 – They Don't Care**

Lory stared at the man in front of him. He knew that if a person could be read like a blanket then Ren had a number of dropped stitches and places in which the yarn had been picked up at the wrong place, places were others would say they were defective but he said made people more interesting. It appeared that he was currently looking at one of these unique parts in Ren's place. "Your father has never hated you," he said and Ren looked at him, staring into his eyes with a defensive expression.

"Could you please not lie about that?" he asked and Lory continued to look at him, feeling a bit wary about Ren's reaction.

"I'm not lying. Your father has never hated me. We did what we did for your own health and it's been working, Ren Tsuruga is considered one of LME's greatest successes. I thought that you wanted to keep your past in the past," Lory said wondering why there was this sudden change of heart. Had it been because of this role? Was it because Ren knew that in taking on this role he would be indirectly challenging Kuu? He stared at the man before him. Was it right for him to be battling something that only he and Ren knew of?

"I know we agreed on that but he is the one who wants that, right?" Ren asked as he thought about the magazine he had read where they had interviewed his father. His father had never contacted him. He had never tried to see him. He had rejected him and given up on him and why should Ren blame him? He wasn't someone worth fighting for.

"Sorry, I was just wondering about…" Ren said and Lory watched him.

"Your father never wanted this to be how things are," Lory said honestly and Ren nodded silently. Lory wasn't sure whether Ren was actually hearing him properly. In Ren's…no Kuon's mind though, what the president was saying to him was very simple. Kuu Hizuri had never wanted to have a son like him. He was a black mark on his father's life. It was better if Kuu Hizuri denied his existence. Maybe this time, playing the role of Katsuki, Ren could separate himself from Shuuhei Hozu and wipe him out completely.

That was the separation of ties which his father desired.

KuKyKuKy

As Ren was walking down the corridor of LME, he felt a strange noise make it so that he lost his balance and composure and slammed into the wall. He blinked. That had been someone screaming and he wasn't sure who. He blinked as he heard the echo. That scream had been strong but it was familiar, he had heard it before.

Ren walked over to the balcony railing and looked down to the first floor to see a horrified and deeply depressed Kyoko sitting there with a book in her hands. He wanted to bring her softly to his chest and promise that -no. He wanted to make sure that she was okay. She was obviously upset about something and it was only right for friends to want to support one another.

He stayed still as he watched her crying and sobbing loudly. What had happened? Had he missed something in their last conversation? Had he misjudged her somehow? Had he overlooked something which had been hurting her?

He noticed that she was with Director Ogata as well as Yashiro. Maybe this had something to do with the drama.

"Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked as he reached out to comfort her and calm her down, "What's the matter?"

"I don't want this role," Kyoko said with tears flowing down her face. Ren moved slowly in their direction. He knew that there were roles out there which had painful emotions attached to them and in this particular piece, the role of Mio Hongo must remind Kyoko of her being bullied during her life. Still, it was a job and you had to take the jobs you were offered especially in the beginning and do your best with them.

"I was looking forward to it because I was playing the role of a young lady!" she tried to explain as Yashiro picked the book up from the ground and flipped through it. "This kind of dark and malicious girl is not a lady at all! She's more like the scary queen who bullied Snow White! It's too cruel!"

Yashiro looked between Kyoko and the book, it was very apparent that she was playing the role of the girl who tortured the heroine of the story. Sometimes playing antagonists like this would cause someone to lose their footing on their way to stardom because they were considered as a villain. Was that why Kyoko didn't want to do it? She didn't want the black mark of playing a villain? Well, it wasn't ideal for young stars but it meant that people had faith in her acting abilities.

"If I knew she was like that, I wouldn't have accepted the job." Kyoko wailed and Director Ogata looked to her with a high level of panic. He hadn't expected for somebody to get upset and the expression on his face could show that he was obviously seeing the drama unravel because of their feelings.

"Please don't say that," he told her. "Mio is an important role for the two main characters. It's not a role that an average person could act out. Only you could act out this 'Mio' and surpass the Mio twenty years ago."

Kyoko blinked back her tears as she heard that. The director had so much confidence in her. He truly wanted for her to play this role and was saying that only she could do so. That level of belief was rarely shown to her before but the idea of being the bad guy made her feel pain. She never wanted to inflict pain onto others and now she was being told that in order to make the living which she wanted as an actress that she was supposed to.

"What is the meaning of that?" Ren asked as he finally made his way up to the group. He looked at each of them and then concentrated on Kyoko. He smiled slightly before using his acting skills to create the look of surprise on his face. "Mogami-san?" he asked as he addressed her and Kyoko blinked back her tears once again. "Are you also performing in 'Tsukigomori'?"

KyKuKyKu

After some time gathering themselves, the four of them found themselves each with beverages and sitting outside in the sunlight. Ren would occasionally look up to Kyoko. He wanted to congratulate her and promise that he would do anything in his power to support her but that wasn't professional. He didn't want her to face the burden of being known as Ren Tsuruga's friend let alone the person who Ren Tsruuga could have loving affection for. They might eat her alive just as he had experienced being his father's son.

Ogata had his eyes closed as he held the tea in his hand. "When I first saw Kyoko-san performing as the angel in Fuwa Shou-kun's PV, I knew that if it was her she can surpass the Mio from twenty years ago. Since she is more malice than evil itself and has an aura darker than darkness."

Ren paused as he stared in silence at the director before looking to Kyoko who was wide eyed at such a representation. How could he so happily proclaim her to be dark and evil - no, her character but Ren was still curious what all of these things meant. Despite his not wanting to admit it out loud especially at this time, he was truly curious to see what kind of acting she had performed. How could she create such a devilish character?

Kyoko shivered a little, tears were still in her eyes and she stared in shock to the director. She had been told that she sometimes acted like a ditz, she had been admired for her cheerful attitude, that was what she had been working on people thinking of her. Never had she been told to be a demon except from Shotaro. People had often considered her too weak for something like that.

"That's so mean," Kyoko announced as she stood up, "is _that_ what you liked about me!? The malice and dark aura but not my acting?" she asked and Ren stared at her. He knew that she had strong emotions but what did that mean? He knew that she was defensive and at times vengeful but he was concerned of this misrepresentation of the sweet Kyoko as well. "Let me reconsider about acting in this show after all," Kyoko announced.

Ren opened his mouth, reaching out to stop her and was relieved when Ogata spoke up instead.

"Wait," he said as he reached out for her. "Wait! Please wait, Kyoko-san! Kyoko-san!" Ogata kept calling out to the woman who was walking away quickly, obviously with her feelings hurt and Ren felt bad for her. She didn't understand what this job could do for her and though he could explain he didn't want for the director to pay her any special attention especially if the cause was his connection with her. "Tsuruga-kun may already have left me and the cast. What should I do if you leave me there too!"

Ren blinked. The best way of helping her, helping himself, helping everyone was for him to definitely involve himself in doing the drama. He had already told the president that he would do it and that even if the president refused to offer him help and support, that he would still do his absolute best in performing the Katsuki role.

"I will participate," Ren said quickly and both Kyoko and Ogata turned to him. He tried to smile a little as Kyoko stopped crying. At least he'd be there to watch over her if they were both performing together. As they looked at him in shock, Ren gave an even more determined smile. "I was permitted to perform in this production. Tsukigomori." He told them.

Kyoko stood very still and watched Ren, he seemed so determined and acting was truly his dream. She wanted to support him in what he was doing and he looked like he truly did want to be considered part of the production. Her motives were changing. She wanted to be by his side if only as his costar.

"Then, then President Takarada gave you his permission?" Ogata asked and Kyoko noticed the troubled expression on Ren's face. She didn't like to see his discomfort but he had already made so many other risks in his life. He wanted to do the best in his career and that was why he had denied himself a lot in his life. Hopefully in understanding this role he could get those important things back into his life. Finally Ren nodded but Kyoko was more concerned with the pause before the nod.

"Yes, reluctantly," Ren admitted.

"Well," Yashiro laughed, "Even if it was reluctant permission is still permission."

Ogata smiled happily, his eagerness on display as he held out his hands to take Ren's. Kyoko watched as she was caught up in the excitement, creating a story with Ren, with her childhood friend, with someone who she could lean on, that was something she wanted. "Thank God. Thank you, Tsuruga-kun. Let's make this Tsukigomori surpass the original version together!"

Ren nodded, "Of course," he said before turning to Kyoko. Kyoko felt her back straighten as everyone turned to her. She had just said that she refused to be in it but being in this drama would mean she would be closer to Ren. She _wanted_ to be closer to Corn. She could see his magic each time they worked together, she could see his smile and they wouldn't be pushed far apart from one another. Her heart beat as this decision weighed on her but as he held his hand out for her she was drawn in towards him.

She grabbed his hand and heard the happiness from the director.

"Well then, please let me say this once more. Let's make this Tsukigomori surpass the original version together. Fight!" he said and Ren looked at Kyoko. He would get his wish in seeing her skills as an actress. If luck was on his side then the two of them would only continue to get closer and closer to one another.

 **End of Act 96**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **I've actually taken to something new with reviews and that is I'm going to be using them as one of three ways of deciding what to update next. I'm going to update the fics I want to write for the week on Sunday morning and write according to the ones which have most positive buzz or which I really want to write. So thank you.**

 **(Believe it or not I have a fic with over 300 views on the latest chapter and 1 review)**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 95

Kaname671, mandira


	98. Act 97 - If You Saw Me Now

**Act 97 – If You Saw Me Now**

"Did you really think that taking this role would mean you were anything like me?" Ren heard as he stood alone in the kitchen area of his apartment waiting for the coffee to brew. He looked to the side where he imagined his father standing. He looked like he did the last time Kuon had seen him when he was leaving for Japan. This was a man who had wanted nothing more from him, no connection to him.

This was a man who would feel happy were he dead. Ren sighed and looked away from him. "I'm sorry," he said knowing that he was actually there alone and speaking to nobody. "I'm really sorry that I let you down. I wish I could promise that it would never happen again but you know what, Dad, it probably will."

His father didn't care about him, didn't love him. He only had himself to rely on in this world. Maybe Kyoko thought that she had problems with her mother but his parents hated who he had become. At least Kyoko hadn't changed her mother's opinion as he had his own parents. At least she might still be able to get love.

RPSRPSRPS

Kyoko froze as she looked at the director who looked as if he were about to die. He always looked like the kind of individual who would be very susceptible to stomachaches, maybe as much as moral philosophy professors. She didn't know if she was supposed to do anything or what to do. Not even the actors who were more seasoned in the profession were doing anything so would it be wrong for her to just step forward?

She was hopeful when an older actor _did_ take a step towards him, "Um, is something wrong, Director?" the man asked and by the time Director Ogata had sat down and was staring forwards as if he had just encountered a ghost. He looked up confused and the other actor continued, "Well, you're getting really pale."

Ogata laughed as he heard that. He put a hand to the side of his head, trying to steady himself which Kyoko could observe. "Um, no I'm all right. I'm just a little nervous," he said and Kyoko held in her breath. She didn't want to focus on the fact that she was nervous about this role herself, this wasn't about her. "I'm a director so I'm not used to being taped myself," he continued to laugh.

Kyoko watched them feeling as if she wanted to do something to help but she had always learned that she should just observe if she was the person with the least experience and she really was. Someone should be able to go over there and talk to him at least but they just made comments on how there was something that was making her nervous which she didn't understand.

She felt the words of the other actors sting and so decided that it might be for the best were she to speak with him. A person listening to you was enough to cheer most people up, it was sharing the pain or anxiety of ones own feelings.

Today was the day that the production announcement would be made and Tsuki Go Mori would change to Dark Moon for them to make it a little bit different. Maybe this was something that the director felt at the start of every new work he did. Maybe it was Kyoko's inexperience in the industry that was leading her to the wrong conclusion especially about what the director was going through. After all, Tsukigo Mori was an unprecedented hit twenty years ago and that made everything bigger, louder, more pomp and circumstance so to speak.

Kyoko squatted down in front of the director, giving him a hopefully comforting but somewhat innocent expression. "Director Ogata?" she asked concerned, "Are you all right?" Director Ogata didn't say anything and so Kyoko began to smile with a strong positive energy. "You'll be all right," she tried to reassure him hoping that by sharing her belief in him, she would be able to motivate him that things would work out well. "The production announcement will be over soon."

Director Ogata smiled in relief as he heard that and Kyoko smiled happily, "You're right," he said before he started to laugh and the relief faded as he was surrounded with even more gloom. Kyoko stared at him in surprise that it seemed he was shrinking and getting smaller. There was the added pressure that he had to surpass the show that had been a hit and was a lot of people's favorites. If he did well then he would be celebrated but if it didn't do well, he would be criticized about it.

She sighed, when they had talked about her and Ren performing their own roles in the drama and how they were both committed to the idea of acting those roles, he had smiled confidently and tried to prepare himself to shoot something amazing. He had shone with so much excitement and passion and confidence and now it was as if he was fading.

Kyoko's eyes flickered up and she paused as she saw that another person was not shining in his usual way. Ren looked more reserved right now, distant. Was it okay if she went to speak with him? She wouldn't need to make their friendship known if she did it just as a younger actor from the same agency, would that be okay?

RPSRPSRPS

He was treading in deadly waters and Ren knew that. He didn't want to say how there were people from the original work here, he didn't want to comment that he had met some of these actors as a young boy. They might have even forgotten that. Even if his father had sent them his picture on a holiday card, they wouldn't recognize him. Yet, it was more than that. Knowing that his father had shown him love around these people before. They would have that misunderstanding and he didn't want anyone to know of that relationship between him and Hizuri Kuu.

That must be how Director Ogata felt right now. He apparently was too young to remember meeting Director Date in the past but his dad had told him how they had been introduced. His memories weren't fresh of when he was a toddler. It was only those darker moments in his life that made the pain ache. Those years he had been physically dealing with hurt and rejection and the knowledge that he had lost the love of his father.

Ren paused as he saw Kyoko approach him and he blinked wondering what she was doing there. He also didn't quite understand why she was keeping her distance from him. No, he must have intimidated her by what he said about hiding their friendship. He heard her voice and blinked, the words only half registering with him.

"Are you nervous too….Tsuruga-san?" she asked respectfully and he looked at her, breaking out of the endless loop in his mind of his father and how his father had seemed proud of him as a child but now that pride no longer existed.

"Huh?" he asked and saw a bit more anxiety in Kyoko's expression.

"Excuse me but, Tsuruga-san, you seem tense these days. Especially today," she commented and Ren blinked. He was usually able to hide how he truly felt so that people would only know what he was acting but he was letting too much Kuon sink into him on this day due to how his father had performed this role before him. "So," she continued, "I was wondering if you're nervous."

Ren blinked again, she could read him. How open of a book had he become at this moment? He stared at her, "Nervous?" he asked and she nodded, "Me?" he said and stared at her as he lost himself in his own thoughts. Was he nervous? Well, it wasn't really nervous. He was scared of not being able to make the role his own and he was terrified that it would anger his father to have him try to take over the role, Still, he knew that he probably wouldn't be able to gain his father's admiration anyway, he shouldn't be nervous about that.

Ren blinked back into reality to see Kyoko apologizing to him which made him take a step back in shock to see this, was she begging him for her life? Making him offerings? What did she think he was thinking about? Did she really fear rejection this much?

"I'm sorry," she apologized and Ren saw her cheeks turn a deep red in color. "Um, now that I think about it, there's no reason for Tsuruga-san to get nervous, that's what I wanted to say, because you'd be able to surpass the original Katsuki easily. I asked a really stupid question," she said with an apologetic smile. She rubbed the back of her shoulder awkwardly and Ren stared at her. She was adorable. Did she know that? Did she realize how cute she came across?

"That's not true," Ren told her honestly, "Yeah, I may be nervous like you say. The original is _that_ amazing," he told her putting emphasis on that word and Kyoko took a deep breath in knowing the relationship between him and the original Katsuki. As much as she would want to say that Kuon's father would be proud of him, she would hate for someone to say that lie about her mother. She would know it wasn't true and just meant to calm her down.

"Well," Ren said as he tried to push the attention away from himself, "everyone's nervous thinking about that but you look just the same as always," he commented and Kyoko stared at him, listening to him intently. "You were screaming about whether you were going to do Mio or not. Have you already created a Mio that's better than the original?" he asked.

Kyoko felt her body go cold as he asked her that question. She hadn't even been thinking about it and that was most likely the _worst_ thing that she could have done as a professional actress. She wanted to make acting her career and she was already acting so carelessly.

"You look like you just now realized about preparing for your role," Ren said weakly but with sympathy and Kyoko worried even more that he was just showing her pity. "Maybe you had no intentions of creating a better Mio from the beginning? That's why you're the only one who looks so relieved?" he asked and Kyoko stared at him with wide eyes. She wanted to beg for his forgiveness as an actor. She shouldn't have been focused on other things. She didn't even know how she was supposed to act better than a veteran actress when this was her very first proper role.

"But you hated the role so much you were crying but I haven't seen you like that since then. So I'd assumed you now have strong feelings for Mio," Ren commented and Kyoko felt like the ground was going to gobble her up. She didn't even like the character and she hadn't been able to relate to her and make a connection with her. She had thought that she had had time to do that but now she was seeing the gaps between her and a professional actor.

How could she find a way to love Mio and make her her own!? She had wanted to see Ren perform, she had wanted to be there to cheer Corn on and yet now she was going to be the one to let everyone else down. She hated that feeling.

As the two of them stood, a man came out and turned to the whole room. "Excuse me! Sorry to keep everyone waiting! It's almost time. Please get ready," he announced.

Ren took a slow breath in seeming to look into the distance, "It's time," he said and Kyoko looked at him again. She just wanted to be close to him. She wanted to see him perform. She wanted to see the magic that she had seen from the fairy prince Corn. She looked at him and saw a quick flash of a smile and her heart beat wanting to see him happy and successful even if his parents didn't look his way any longer.

"Let's go," he told her and Kyoko grinned.

"Yes," she said before seeing him turn and closed her eyes for a moment.

 _That's why I decided to do Mio, for a chance to act with you._

 **End of Act 97**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 96

Anneonymous, Brennakai, Clow Angel, EchizenRyoma, Mariposa, miemieo 86,


	99. FINAL AUTHOR NOTE - DEAR PSYCHOPATH

Dear PSYCHOPATH

It becomes apparent to me now that you have a meaningless existence and I should not feed it any longer. I will keep deleting the anonymous reviews which you leave me so go ahead and waste your time and your life. I have a much more valuable life than you do because i do not continually send people messages every hour under an anonymous review. You are a coward with a worthless and meaningless existence if you continue to THREATEN, HARASS, and STALK me. I am so much better than you. You don't even know proper English so I'm guessing you are foreign. Please take some English lessons, it will only help you when you send hate.

As for everyone else, I am going to be putting some fics on hiatus for a while because I've been affected by a troll who has so little life and so little friends that they gain entertainment by attacking someone they do not know who did not do anything to them every hour of their lives. Talk about a loser.

I just wanted to let you know that I have to take some time for myself. I hope you continue to read my other work which is not Skip Beat but otherwise I hope to see you guys soon.

It is my fault for feeding the troll, I realize that now. I actually do have a life and an education and a job whereas this person obviously has a meaningless existence. Thank you for your support

Fay

** I am posting this note on _this_ fic because it's my most popular of this category


	100. Act 98 - A Hospital Again

**AN:**

I know that nobody asked this but I have decided to work on _some_ of my Skip Beat fics including this one. If the psychopath/stalker/harasser comes back then I'm going to try to ignore them because they are a lowlife who needs to be cast out from good society. Anyway, at the end of the chapter I'll be listing the ones I'm going to work on but I'll be adding new ones in on a rolling basis. Thank you

 **Act 98 – A Hospital Again**

As the press conference continued, Kyoko watched Director Ogata and smiled. He was much more calm when he was discussing his dreams and hopes for Dark Moon. Even though he looked very nervous, he was starting to believe in himself. Kyoko admired that. She thought that she could look at him and fight through the nerves within her. She listened tot the questions before hearing something that seemed to terrify the director.

"Excuse me, this is the last question. Director Ogata, Hirotaka Date who directed the original Tsukigomori is your father. You've been using your real name Hiroaki Date until now, just like your father uses his real name. Why did you change your name to Hiroaki Ogata for this job?"

Ogata froze as he heard that and Ren flashed back onto his own father. Ren didn't have enough courage to go by Hizuri Kuon despite that being his proper name. They were both involved in the same career field and Ren had already crafted a semi-successful career for himself but he didn't feel strong enough to go by Kuon Hizuri. Ogata was hiding behind a different name for the same reason. Neither of them wanted to be compared to their parents because if they didn't live up to that reputation it would cause problems.

Ren looked at Ogata again as he nervously clutched to the microphone. He was shaking with wide eyes and even his voice was trembling which proved his fears.

"I changed my name," Ogata said, "Because…"

There was a strange silence on the stage and everyone was staring at the director. He seemed to stop speaking mid-sentence. Everyone watched and waited and then it happened, Ogata had gone extremely pale and fainted, falling off of his chair. What was happening!? What could help the director with this!

"Director!?" Everyone yelled as they saw the director faint. Was there any way that they could help him?

KyKuKyKuKyKu

Kyoko leaned over the director as he finally managed to regain consciousness. She had come with him to the hospital when they had sent him there and they had all been afraid that he would be caught in a somewhat catatonic state but that didn't happen. Kyoko kept herself positioned by the director. Everyone else was so busy but this was a man who believed in her abilities enough to offer her a role in his drama. She wanted to do her best and that involved supporting the director.

"Kyoko?" Ogata asked as he blinked at her and Kyoko smiled with relief.

"Uh…Are you all right?" Kyoko asked nervously and Ogata slowly got up.

"I'm all right," he laughed very weakly, "Am I in a hospital?"

"Uh, yes," Kyoko nodded as she reached out to touch Ogata's shoulder hoping that she could help him become steady. She hadn't seen anything like this before but she had felt something similar when she had fainted during the test with Ruriko. She had felt badly about fainting and being unprofessional. She hoped that Ogata was being kinder with himself than she was with herself.

"Oh dear," Ogata worried as he looked at Kyoko embarrassed, "I've let people down again." Ogata turned to look at the woman who was sitting at the end of the bed. He smiled weakly, surprised to see Haruki there. Haruki was a close friend and supporter to him. Haruki didn't feel ill will towards him and she didn't judge him. Hopefully she hadn't been in the middle of anything important but she had chosen him if she had been. Ogata had to feel lucky about that.

"Haruki," he breathed out feeling guilty for his close friend's presence. She looked at him sympathetically. At least she understood what had happened. Just seeing her there seemed to give Ogata hope. At least, this was what Kyoko had been thinking about inside of her head. She was just the third party here, maybe she should leave soon.

KuKyKuKyKuKy

Kyoko sat with Ogata in the waiting room of the hospital. Ogata had been able to be released early because he seemed to be much steadier but he was still embarrassed and regretful at what had happened earlier and being with Kyoko made him see that he had failed to separate his personal life from his professional life. "I'm sorry," Hiroaki said to her. "I made you take care of me."

"N-No," Kyoko said quickly. "I didn't have any jobs after the announcement like the other people did," She watched Ogata and he bowed his head, he became quiet and Kyoko wasn't sure how to handle this situation.

"Everybody must be appalled at the way I acted," he said

Kyoko's back straightened as she stared at him. How was she supposed to answer that. She didn't want to lie to him and say that there weren't people who had been whispering about him and they had said some things that she wouldn't have dreamed of saying but she didn't want to make him feel worse. She knew there were also a lot of people who were concerned in a caring manner about whether he was okay. One of those concerned people was Ren.

"What? No I don't think so," she tried to say to cheer him up and cheer him on.

Ogata sighed, "It's all right, I can tell how other people perceive me," he told her as he fell into his own depression. Kyoko wanted to tell him that Ren didn't see him that way but there were two problems with that, first of all, she didn't feel that she should speak on Ren's behalf but second, she needed to hide their deep friendship. She didn't want for people to think of her as only Ren's childhood friend. That was something she was attempting to hide but hopefully Ren would say something to show his own support.

Haruki approached them before Kyoko could say anything to them, "Hiroaki, sorry to keep you waiting," she said and then closed her purse. Hiroaki rose as she came back and Kyoko felt comfortable sitting down and letting Haruki take care of Hiroaki.

"I paid the bill," Haruki said and Hiroaki thanked her.

"Sorry for causing all this trouble," he said and Haruki shook her head. Kyoko had the feeling that this had happened before and that Haruki knew his problem and had experience with it.

"No problem," she laughed, "I'm used to it. By the way, aren't you hungry?" she asked and Hiroaki smiled softly, "Let's eat something before we head home. You too, Kyoko. My treat for staying with Hiroaki," she offered and Kyoko felt her cheeks turning red. She didn't do all of this to be thanked or to get free food. She just wanted to do what was right and she felt that she could because unlike everyone else there was nowhere that she needed to be.

"No…no I didn't do this to.." she said in a panic and Haruki smiled softly.

'Don't worry. I'll have Hiroaki pay me back later," she told them and Hiroaki laughed weakly. Kyoko had the feeling that since he had experience as a director and since Haruki-san had just paid the hospital bill that he didn't have any money on him. She knew they were joking and attempting to include her but she didn't' want to trespass and become a third wheel to them.

"But," she panicked not wanting to receive something for free when she hadn't been doing it as a favor but out of the goodness of her heart.

"If you don't come, I'll give Sho your cell phone number," Haruki threatened and Kyoko felt her stomach lurch. That was probably the thing that she _least_ wanted to happen.

Slapping a hand to her chest, Kyoko made sure to stand up straight as if she were answering to a captain. "I shall come with you!" She told them. Truly, the last thing that she wanted was for Shotaro to have a connection with her, not when she had tried so hard to cut it off.

 **End of Act 98**

 **Thank you for reading**

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 97

Kaname671, kurokazeryuu, miemieo.86

 **AN 1:**

Sorry for the brevity of this chapter but I hope you enjoyed it

 **AN 2:**

The fics I'm going to work on are:

Are You A Fairy?, Corn You're My Hero, End of a Very Long Road Home, Family History, Little Girl Lost, Repeat Previous Song, The Little Prince, You'll Always Be My Prince


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